Nautica New York City Triathlon

Great race, well organized and the post celebration perks are awesome!
For any first timers, don’t be too scared of the water. I was scared as I have no experience swimming in open water, but with proper indoor training mixed with open water training with a free swim group in Brighton Beach (CIBBOWS), I was able to complete it «confidently» and at a nice pace.
The bike portion I suffered and had cramps in my legs, but I hunkered down and finished that on my vintage 1970’s schwinn road bike. Tip, bring 2 water bottles… you get real thirsty.
The run portion I was in pain from the bike, but I kept going until I crossed the finish. I’m happy to have done it.
Now I’m a avid swimmer and I’m thinking of biking to work now.

Awesome race and incredibly well organized. My favorite of all the Tri’s I have done.

I finished the NYC Triathlon yesterday (August 7^th, 2011) in roughly 3 hours 20 minutes. It was my first Olympic Distance and was a pretty tough course (unfortunately 2 people died during the swim — very sad). However, enough bragging about how fit I am and onto the good stuff.
If you have wanted to ever sign up for a triathlon, try and get a spot in this triathlon next year. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The race is so well organized that I knew exactly where to go and exactly what to do leading up to the race. They have safety briefings, transition tours, swim safety help, and will answer your 1 million questions with only smiles. The volunteers were priceless as well as the NYPD. Last but not least are all the New Yorkers watching and cheering along. You would be surprised at how far a little clap /​cheer goes for a competitor.
Thank you all of the volunteers and the NYPD for making this such a rewarding experience. I loved the race and think any New Yorker that wants a challenge to try and sign up in 2012. Great way to see parts of the city you have never seen. Plus, you feel like an all star racing down roads that was blocked just for you (and 3499 other racers).

Registering your bike one day in advance — check.
Setting up your transition area in light rain and covering as much as possible with plastic bags — check.
Jumping into the Hudson with thousands of people in the rain — check.
Getting googles kicked off by slower swimmers in the previous waves — 3 checks
Biking as nonstop rain pelts you while navigating the split West Side Highway — check
Not crashing/​getting a flat — short of a miracle
Running on 72^nd Street and hearing your name shouted by friends — PRICELESS
Sprinting into last mile around Central Park among all the cheering from the spectators — feeling like none other
Finishing the New York Triathlon in under 3 hours :) — Worth the last 6 weeks of training
And this is why you can’t ever just do one triathlon.

I love this race! The one mile swim down the Hudson River is super-​fast and downcurrent (organizers say that a plastic bag can do the swim portion in just 25 minutes), so even if you’re a weak swimmer the first leg is no problem. Even though many people seem skeeved by the riverwater, it’s very clean and totally safe to swim in.
The 25 mile bike is beautiful and scenic, mostly flat with the exception of a couple of hills at various points. The course takes you up the West Side Highway up to the Bronx and offers great views of the river and skyline.
The run tends to be HOT — by this point depending on your wave start time the sun is bearing down and July in NYC tends to be humid. You run across 72^nd Street to cheering crowds and into Central Park for a loop where there is lots of lovely shade and ample water stations.
Finish is extremely organized and you are immediately presented with a lovely iced towel, medal, and fruit and water. Overall a beautiful day and a great way to see our lovely city.

Being grossly unathletic, I do not participate. However, my friend is big on triathlons and marathons and all that oddly healthy stuff that I just don’t quite grasp (you mean lifting my fork to my mouth doesn’t qualify as exercise??? i beg to differ). I have to take one star off for the Hudson River swim. Holy cow, how do they not set up decontamination zones after that? I live by Riverside Park, I see that river a lot, and that last thing I would think of is putting any part of my body in it. I am amazed that no one’s come out sporting a third arm yet. It might just be a matter of time, though.

Ahhh there is nothing like torturing your body like swimming, biking, and running all in the same day. I just finished my second NYC triathlon and living in San Francisco this has become my destination triathlon each year. My wife who doesn’t compete also wins by spending the whole week in NYC seeing museums and shopping.
The distances: Olympic Distance Tri, 1 mile swim, 25 miles biking, 6 miles running.
The swim: A point to point swim in the Hudson River! Doesn’t sound appealing at first but the river isn’t that bad. The swift currents makes anyone a fast swimmer so your mile PR’S (personal record) are easy to achieve. The only problem is the last 100 meters the waters are shallow and the river bottom is kind of tarry, so it is suggested to try to swim all the way. If you’re a bad swimmer, just let the currents take you downstream.
The Bike: A 25 mile trek up the West Coast Hwy with appox 2200 feet of total climbing. It’s a fun rolling course with river views, and downhill straightaways. The last turnaround you get a view of the NYC skyline.
The Run: The first mile you have 72^nd street all to yourself and the run is very surreal. People line the streets to cheer you on. The course then takes you to Central Park and you run a big loop around Central Park. It’s very cool to finish the race there.
Once you finish, the racers are treated like VIP kings. Free food, drinks, tee shirts, caps, wet ice cold towels and a medal. There is even a tent with Swedish Masseuses students who give 30 – 45 mins FREE massages.
The race is very organized and professional. It’s neat to see some of the world class athletes racing with you. It is timed using a computer chip so loved ones can receive text messages of your progress. There is even a 10 second video of yourself that gets sent to you at the finish line.
The Bad: NYC can be hot and humid during July so the racing conditions can be hard. I cramped up both years during the run portion but I did finish.
All and all an enjoyable event which I plan to do each year, gives my wife and I an excuse to visit NYC!