Toughman Half Triathlon - Preview

The TOUGHMAN Half distance triathlon which takes place at Croton Point Park located in the town of Croton-On-Hudson in NY is a perennial favorite among triathletes in the tri-state area and beyond.  Athletes from New York City, Fairfield, West Chester and Bergen County flock to this race every year.

If the race is NOT closed out already register ASAP! If it is sold out and you REALLY want to get in (and you should), shoot us a quick email and if we can’t get you in we can get you on the wait list!

The event is always well organized and well run. The volunteers are amazing and the course is scenic and challenging. Did I mention the bike course is completely closed to traffic?!?! For all of these reasons, Team RTA has slated TOUGHMAN New York as a Team Race for the last several years.

Because it’s a challenging course, it can be helpful to know what to expect on race day.

Below you will find a quick TOUGHMAN Half race preview provided by RTA athlete and TOUGHMAN ambassador, Steve Katz.  Steve has been in the sport of triathlon for 20+ years. As an RTA coached athlete, Steve has earned USA Triathlon All American honors and has qualified and raced in the Boston Marathon.

TOUGHMAN HALF Triathlon Race Preview:

“I’ve done TOUGHMAN every year since its been around and I am a race ambassador. You are in for a great experience.

SWIM:

The swim is in a protected cove. There may be some current but it’s not too bad. The swim is basically a big counter clockwise rectangle.

BIKE:

The bike is mostly on Route 9. It is rolling and hilly. Nothing super steep, but there are some long-ish climbing sections. Route 9 is closed to traffic, so that is really nice. Be careful at the turn arounds at the end of Route 9, if it is crowded. After Route 9, there is a no passing section of of park where you will have to take it a bit easy before hitting the main road in the park. That can be a bit frustrating, but it’s near the end of the bike and a good break to get your running legs under you.

RUN:

The run is hilly. There are some sections of unpaved hard packed trails. Not technical at all. Before on eof the bigger climbs (on trail) you will run down past the Croton dam. It’s a pretty awesome sight to run by the waterfall. Then it’s an out and back sort of thing. You’ll run back across the bridge by the dam and eventually at around mile 9, you’ll hit the steepest hill on the run. The good news is once you are over that, it’s relatively downhill, flat and some very small rollers the rest of the way home.

SUMMARY:

Overall, it is definitely a challenging course. The race experience is first class and it has a big race feel. Plenty of aid stations and enthusiastic volunteers. It’s a great scenic course practically in our own backyard.

SIDE NOTE:

One last thing. You will run through a section where the Great Jack-o-Lantern blaze is held every year around Halloween. I definitely recommend a return trip back to see that. You’ll need tickets which can be purchased online from the Hudson Valley Historical Society. This event is very popular and sells out every year. www.hudsonvalley.org

Have you done this race before? Do you have questions? Leave your questions or comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

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For additional questions about the race, you may contact Steve and he’d be happy to help you out as best as possible. skatztri@gmail.com