Where is this New Balance Half Ironman Triathlon 2009?
Those of you wondering where in the heck the New Balance Half Ironman Triathlon 2009 will actually take place – or, for that matter, be honest, some of you are probably wondering if this triathlon thing Mark and April claim they are going to do really exists – well, here is some evidence that it does.
The New Balance Triathlon is part of the Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series, which has a very snappy web site. So there’s that.
For now, I just want to share with you the location of the triathlon start line on this nifty Google map. The triathlon begins with the swim, and the swim portion of the tri takes place in Elk/Beaver Lake in Victoria, BC. On the map, you’ll see the beach, which is called Hamsterly Beach. The swim starts and ends in nearly the same spot on Hamsterly Beach. If you set the map to “Satellite” view and zoom in real close, I think you can see the hamsters.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care for the sound of “Hamsterly Beach” as the site for a triathlon swim. I was hoping for something like “Manly Beach” or maybe “Badass Beach”. Oh well!
Here’s a look at the bike course on MapMyRide.com. We go around this twice. New Balance Victoria Half Ironman 2009 bike course on MapMyRide.com.
For the run, we go around Elk/Beaver Lake. There’s a map of the run course below. You can download a copy if you care to take a closer look.
I’m sure we will see many Elk/Beavers along the way. See the photo below, with the human form inset for comparison. These are a majestic species of Humongous Beaver, native to Vancouver Island. The males have gigantic antlers, and, of course, very large, flat tails. Truly amazing!



Be sure to pack a beaver cleaver – in case of attack.
Mike
June 18, 2009