Clemson triathlon

The Clemson triathlon, which is part of the South Carolina Tri series, is a unique triathlon in that it consists of a 1000meter swim, 21 mile ride, and a 6k run. It is hosted by the Clemson triathlon and this year was the site of the USAT state championship. However, many triathletes use this as one of their first triathlons and because so can sign up for the novice group where they have a separate start time to prevent anxiety with the mass start. 

Swim:

The swim is a rectangular swim in lake hartwell with a waist deep water start. Different waves have different start times, allowing for smoother swim starts. The bottom of the lake at the start and finish is sandy with a beach meaning there are very little slick rocks. However, the lake itself is not the clearest lake so if you are not comfortable swimming with limited visibility then be aware. The water is relatively calm with little current. 

Bike:

The bike course is a 2 loop course with rolling hills and views of the lake. The road surfaces change dramatically as one road has just been paved while another has lit holes that rival most gravel rides. The course begins with a downhill to get you going and start off at a hot pace. During the 10.5 mile loop there are two bigger and steeper hills with one additional clincher. Police were at every intersection allowing the race to continue with minimal traffic interference. After ascending the long hill to the airport towards the end of the loop there is a 1/4 mile downhill where riders can easily get up to 40mph depending on comfort in aero position. This course is all about knowing which roads and segments to open up the throttle and which ones to hold back on. With enough knowledge this can be a very fast bike course. 

Run: 

Like the bike course, the run begins along the same route with a quick downhill start which can kick start the run or cause an athlete to over run the beginning and result in burn out later on so knowing how to pace is imperative here. After descending the hill you take a sharp right turn and deal with approximately 100m of mixed sand and packer gravel before coming back to a smoothly paved road. Runner encounter their first aid station here approximately 1 mile into the course (water only) then deal with a short but very steep hill to the rowing house. This hill can make or break your race so know what is coming and prepare for it. I highly advise getting off the hill asap. Work the hill and you come to the dike where it becomes more of a cross country feel for approximately 3/4 mile. Runners run to the end of the dike where the second aid station is then turn around and re-trace their steps. You then run down the dreaded hill that hopefully did not take you to long a few minutes ago. From here athletes retrace their steps to the finish line ascending the hill that kick started the run so gut it out and finish hard. It can be a fast course but plenty of athletes made their pitfall by going out to fast at the start. Pace it correctly and you can gain a lot of spots in this portion. It is a fair run as it has one longer hill and one short but steep hill as well as mixed surfaces. 

Transition:

The main negative to the race is the transition area. It is located on a field just outside the swim beach. While the field is the most level aspect of the area, it is not the same as a parking lot. The most unfortunate aspect of this is that leaving the transition, athletes have to run 100-150meters uphill on grass with their bike to get to the start and vice versa to rack the bike before the run. This can significantly slow you down if you are wearing cycling cleats and cannot do a flying start. While not a deal breaker this definitely adds time to your race compared to others. All the more reason to hit that first downhill hard and make up for lost time!