Race Day
Conditions for the race were not too bad, given what could have been. I arrived two days before and both days the temperature hit 35 degrees. We had a storm pass through on Saturday night, which dropped the temperature to the mid-20s and brought overcast conditions for Sunday race day.
It went right back up to 35 degrees the day after the race, so we really had a fluke of good luck weather-wise. I would have melted otherwise, as on the day, even at around 25 degrees, I still felt the heat. I needed to drench myself with water and take cold sponges at every aid station on the run to cool down.
We Paddies are just not built for heat.
Overall Thoughts
As an Ironman race option, I would highly recommend Krakow. This was my seventh Ironman 70.3 and tenth middle-distance race, including a Challenge race. Overall, it ranks very high on my list.
Firstly, Krakow as a city to visit is one of the best in Europe. It is a great historic city to walk around during the day, with plenty to do and see. It has great nightlife too, après race of course 😁.
Poland is getting more expensive, but it is still far cheaper than most of Europe. There are endless options for accommodation, restaurants, cafés, pubs and more at decent prices.
My wife came with me and we both had a great time. We stayed in an Airbnb and it worked out perfectly. It was near the old town square, T2 and the finish. We rented a car, and I would recommend that, as the swim is a bit outside the city. Driving around was very straightforward.
Swim
The swim is unique. It is in an old quarry on the outskirts of the city, repurposed as a public amenity with outdoor pools built around its shore.
We hung around there the day before and had a dip. It felt like swimming in a giant open-air pool. The place was wedged with locals cooling off from the heatwave.
Water temperature was 23.8 degrees on race day, so it was fairly toasty in the wetsuit. Wetsuits were optional on the day, but it seemed like everyone went for one.
Oddly, there is a current in the quarry, so the first 400 metres were fast, but then the rest slowed. It was a fairly bunched swim, so I was expecting a good time with all the drafting, but it was not that quick.
Still, as a swim, it was lovely and I really enjoyed it.
T1
T1 in total was 650 metres, with a big hill to run up from the quarry and the longest bike racking I have ever seen. There were only two racks, about 500 metres in length.
It took me seven minutes to get through it. Again, unique, but not in a way you want it to be.
Bike
The bike course is marked as rolling hills, and it is truly rolling hills for the majority of it. Road surfaces were decent, but you are climbing a lot. It is better suited to the climbers, for sure.
I found it tough going and hard to get a good rhythm. If you are looking for a fast bike split, this is probably not the race to get it in.
It is an out-and-back route. The best part is the town you turn around in. The route goes around the town square to loop back, and it is about the same size as Eyre Square. It was packed with locals cheering you on.
T2
T2 was in the middle of a running track inside the city. Very straightforward and quick.
Run
It was not my best day by far. I was fairly wiped by the final third lap and zombied home to the finish.
I struggled from both a lack of run training due to injury and the hard bike leg. I had a calf injury a couple of months back that put me out of run action for what should have been my peak run build.
I was a little worried it would flare up on race day, as I could still feel something niggling, but we got around it in one piece.
The run is three loops, consisting of about 5K along the river and 2K in the old town. It is mostly flat, except for a bit of a ramp to get up and down to the riverside path. This can be a fast run if you have the legs.
There were loads of people out supporting for the whole length, and a couple of live bands on the river path giving it socks to keep you motivated.
The race finished in the town square. Audrey pitched herself up at the square, which was a good spot for supporting. You have the finish chute there, the course loops back through it, so she saw me multiple times, and there were plenty of restaurant terraces to hang out and cool down with a couple of rosé wines.
Final Verdict
It is a great race to do. Go for this race if you want to do an Ironman 70.3 on the cheaper side and also tag on a great city break.
