R.I.P IM Branson 70.3

I found out today that Ironman Branson is no longer. The 3 year contract was up and I guess they felt it wasn't as popular a race as they wanted, so it is gone. And it's a shame! Branson 70.3 is known for it having the toughest bike course on the IM 70.3 circuit, and I think that is one of the reasons it is gone.

R.I.P 2010-2012

If you have been reading Daily Trainings for any amount of time, you would know that I participated in 2 of the 3 years IM Branson was raced.In 2010, this was my first half Ironman race and I was very excited, but unfortunately, I had 5 flat tires on the bike portion and I was a DNF. You can read that race report here. My first HIM and my first DNF, it was heartbreaking to say the least, but I persevered! I kept a fire lit in my gut that I was going to come back and finish this race, no matter what. And that is EXACTLY what I did, and you can read about my rematch here! It was so sweet to finally finish it!

Bike Elevation Graph

So, whether or not I ever went back to race Branson again, it would always be a special race to me. A lot of people are coming up with reasons why it went under, but I am going to give you my thoughts on what happened (cause this is my blog!)

1. The bike course is extremely tough. The average finish of the bike was 3:30 hours for 56 miles. You hit speeds of 50 mph on the downhills and you crush the pedals for 5-7 mph on the uphills. It is a tremendous test, but a beautiful ride along the Ozark mountains. I think the reputation of it being such a tough ride scared people away from it.
2. Timing- Late September is already a busy month of racing. You have Redman and the US Nationals going on around the same time, and I think this had a huge impact on this race.

Now, some people have said the transitions being in two separate spots was confusing, or that getting around Branson was tough due to the traffic, and it may be true to some extent, but there is no better place for a family to wait around on you like Branson! There was plenty to do and plenty of places to eat. I totally enjoyed the race, after it was over.

There are rumors that someone that another race organization may pick it up and I hope that is true, because  it is a good tough race, but not one for anyone looking for a new PR. I admit that I like telling me people I did IM Branson, because of the bike course reputation, but I have no desire to do it again. I still hate to see that race go away. So Rest In Peace Branson 70.3, it sure was fun and thanks for the memories!