Taking part in the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw was a wonderful experience that I undertook as part of my preparation for the upcoming Ironman Kalmar in August. The race, held in the city of Warsaw, Poland on June 8th, was a perfect opportunity to test how I was able to absorb the Ironman specific training so far and fine-tune my strategies for the full Ironman event in racing conditions.
I approached the race with a sense of curiosity and excitement. I didn’t start with any specific expectations when it comes to finish times. My training had been going well, so I was eager to see how my body would respond, when pushed hard in a race like this.
The atmosphere in Warsaw was electric, with athletes from all over the world gathering to compete and support each other. This race was not just a test of physical strength but also a celebration of the spirit of triathlon.
Getting to Warsaw for the Ironman 70.3
Traveling to Warsaw for European triathletes is pretty straight forward. The city is well connected with direct flights from most other major cities on the continent. It was my first time visiting Warsaw and I was pleasantly surprised by the city overall. We arrived on Friday evening and from the Airport, we went directly to our accommodation on the Miodowa Street, which was very close to the race venue, had a late dinner and then off to bed. Before that though we got the chance to cheer from our apartment window, the runners that took part in the night run competition.
The second day was dedicated to registering for the race, assembling the bike, and taking it to T1. The swim start is far from the city center, some 30-40 km away. Race organizers do put at participants’ disposal two trains going directly to Nieporet, where the swim and T1 are located. We were lucky enough to get a spot on the train, which was pretty crowded with all the bikes and people trying to get to T1.
There is quite a long walk from the train station in Nieporet to the transition zone. So, plan accordingly as it will take around 20-30 minutes to walk there. We racked our bikes and afterwards we were planning to do a little swim but it was raining and we were already a little bit tired so we headed back to Warsaw.
Ironman 70.3 Warsaw – Race Day
On race day, the train that takes athletes to the start, leaves pretty early. We got in and arrived at race start some two hours ahead of time. This was a good idea as we got a chance to do a little warm-up swim, do a final check on our bikes, and use the toilets. The rolling start took a long time but we finally got into the water and off we went.
I am a poor swimmer, but I think I started a little too far behind the pack as I was passing by many slower swimmers in the first half of the swim. The swim course is very nice and easy. I heard from other participants that raced in previous years that it can be quite choppy at times, but this year it was perfect.
After exiting the water I ran to the bike, took the swimsuit off and off I went to the bike course. The Ironman 70.3 Warsaw bike course if probably the flattest bike course I’ve ever ridden. Aside from some four or five hairpins there’s no challenge on this course. I had my road bike with me, but now after racing the bike course in the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw, I am convinced that I would have gained more than a few minutes from riding on a triathlon bike.
The wind was not too strong either, but its direction was far from ideal as it was steadily blowing from South West with a speed of 8-10 km/h. For about 60-70% of the course, we were heading South towards Warsaw, so we battled a small headwind almost all the time. I can imagine it can be much worse, but at the same time, if it’s the other way around, I think the bike times can be mind-blowing on this course. Another thing to mention is that the course is a couple kilometers short which may be misleading if you’re checking the Ironman website times.
Entering transition to the run course I felt pretty good. I left my bike, stashed a couple of gels in my back pocket and started the half marathon. The run course consists of four laps, it’s flat and very exciting to run with all the crowds cheering people on. I felt incredibly well in first two laps. I was at some point under the impression that my GPS was off as my splits were so much faster than I was planning. I slowed down intentionally on the third lap as I feared I went too fast but then I was able to finish strong on the last lap.
The run course is some 800 meters longer than a half marathon. So it compensates for the shorter bike leg. The additional distance is mostly downhill plus the run on the red carpet to the finish line so it won’t feel too hard. I was running and doing some math in my head trying to finish under 1:40, which I did for the half marathon, but then there was this additional distance which took me a couple of minutes over the planned finish time.
I finished the whole thing in 5:16:18 which was a personal best for me for a half Ironman distance. I know it’s a fast course so I try to not to get too stoked about it, but the fact that I finished strong and felt good after the race, has helped build the trust I needed to continue with my plan for Ironman Kalmar. Overall this race was an excellent test but at the same time a great opportunity to discover a great city that I didn’t know much about. I would definitely return here if I had the chance and would love to race in Warsaw again.
After the race we went on to the after party, ate something, hydrated well and then went off to grab the bike and gear from T2. After taking a shower we headed out to cheer for the last athletes that were crossing the finish line and went to this craft beer pub for a little celebration. If you’re planning to race in Warsaw, don’t hesitate! It’s a well organized race, with wonderful vibe and the polish capital is a lovely city.
Check out the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw race page.
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