Course description
A popular club triathlon in Franconia, organised by TV 1848 Erlangen and sold out for years: a 2.0 km swim in the Main-Danube Canal out to the turn buoy and back, then two bike laps totalling 84 km and about 440 m of climbing through Erlangen and the Erlangen-Höchstadt district. To finish, four flat 5 km run laps along the canal and through the Mönau forest, with a loop inside the stadium. Swim start, transition and finish are all at the TV 1848 sports ground — short distances and a great atmosphere along the canal.
Coach tip
The swim is in the Main-Danube Canal with a deep-water start: 2.0 km north to the turn buoy and back, always keeping the buoys on your left. The straight canal makes sighting easy, so swim your own rhythm. The referees decide at 8 am on race day whether wetsuits are allowed. Last time everyone had to be out of the water by 10:15 am, because ships use the canal again after that.
The two bike laps of 84 km and about 440 m of climbing run on public roads that are not closed: traffic rules apply, and you do not always have right of way at junctions. Slow down on the steep descents near Hammerbach and Weisendorf and in the tight corners. You are fed once per lap in Poppenwind with 0.75 l bottles of sports drink or water and half bananas. Last time the bike had to be finished by 1:30 pm, after which the road marshalling ends.
The run is four 5 km laps: along the canal, over the Membacher Steg into the Mönau forest, past the ponds and through the canal underpass back into the stadium, where every lap includes a short loop on the track. Each lap has three aid stations with water, sports drink, cola and alcohol-free wheat beer, one of them with bananas. There are no gels, so bring your own. The finish closed at 4 pm last time.