Having now completed both sprint triathlons, I can now
objectively assess which is the best one for you*.
The Ballwin course is roughly a 300m swim, 9-mile bike ride
and a 3.5ish mile run. The swim portion is done in heats and you stick to the
same lane. The bike route is a loop you do twice and has a steep incline about
a fourth of the way in and some inclines here and there, but is relatively
flat. The run has a few sizeable hills and makes its way through a
neighborhood.
The Tour de Kirkwood course is approximately a 400m swim, 12-mile
bike ride and a 3-mile run. The swim here is a serpentine swim, meaning participants
start at one end of the pool, one after another in 3-second intervals, swim a
complete lap, duck under the lane barrier, and so forth, until they reach the
other end of the pool. This involves knowing a bit more about your swim pace,
but is pretty easy if you surround yourself with like-bodied individuals. The
bike route is also a loop you do twice and has a few inclines, one huge hill in
the middle and a grueling long climb in the middle portion. The run is a course
you run twice, which means you tackle the steep hill at two different times.
So which is the better course? It all depends what you’re
looking to do.
If you’ve never done a sprint triathlon before and want to
ease into it, I recommend the Ballwin. It doesn’t have as much time in the
water, has a good bike course and actually has a more interesting and scenic
run course with not a lot of hills throughout.
But if you’re looking to tackle a challenge or kick it up a notch,
the Kirkwood is the Tri to, um, try. It’s still relatively accessible to the
casual athlete, but still has challenges for the more serious (I saw a few
aerodynamic cycling helmets).
Of course, there’s a third option. Since the two are pretty
much two weeks apart, why not do both? Use the Ballwin to prepare for the
Kirkwood. I mean, if you’re putting in the time to train, you might as well get
the most lung-straining, sweat-pouring bang for your buck.
*You being people who are interested in doing triathlons.
