Looking for a good first timer half ironman in NY for 2012

I just did the Mightyman HIM in montauk on October 2nd for my first one.  I enjoyed the race and felt like it was run well.  In my opinion and maybe because it was my first it is a deceptively hilly course for the south shore of long island, so the bike took a lot out of me and the run had some hills, so some people may say it is a challenging course for a first timer but others would probably say its about average.

But I was glad I did it, and may do it again, and felt great completing it

pretty nice hooded sweatshirt was given out also as part of the swag bag

I've done the Syracuse and Musselman 70.3 races. I think the musselman is a easier course for first timers with less climbing on the bike and a swim with a channel where you are going with the flow. The run is equally hard but the run surface of the musselman was less than desirable with a short steep run up staircase and a short gravel road.

This year's Musselman was wicked hot temperatures and made the experience miserable for many. High temperatures can get into the 90s in July here. But I think this was near record warmth and most years not as taxing on the body.

I really like the Syracuse 70.3 which changed the run two a two loop course in the countryside. Swim is flat in a reservior and bike has great views but challenging hills. The ironman outfit has run this race great the past two years, other than the run and parking the first year.

Musselman a well run race too with great community support and family friendly.

Toughman is a lot shorter of a drive then Musselman.  I have not done either.  I live on LI, too.   I did Eagleman, that is a real good beginner HIM cause it's flat.  And when I mean flat, there is not a single incline on the entire course; although it can get hot and the drive is about 4 1/2 hours.  An hour less then the drive to Musselman. 

There's also Rhode Island 70.3, which was my first HIM.  If you take the Orient Point Ferry, Providence is literally 45 minutes north from when you get off.  And the ferry breaks up the trip nicely if you have kids in tow.  The course is rolling hills, nothing that difficult.

Montauk HIM is also a good half, but it's all the way in October and the highlight of the Mighty Montauk is the scenery.  Montauk is georgous, the lighthouse is awesome, it's a magical place for sure.  But the nutrition on course SUCKS.  It's actually a downright joke.  For the amount of money you pay, on the entire Bike ride is one lousy aid station where they give you a bottle of water.  And on the run you get to drink warm Heed.  Mmmmmm....  The race organizers really cheap out on the Race Day course nutrition, so plan to bring it with you yourself. 

There is also the Endurasport Harriman Half (or the HairyMan) in mid-May up in Harriman State Park.  It's 50 minutes north on the Palisades, and it's a great race ... BUT IT'S BRUTAL.  They also run an Olympic Tri the same day.  I recommend doing the Olympic first.  The elevation gain is approx 1500 ft per 20-miles on this course.  Both the Bike and Run are absolutely brutal. 

There's also JerseyMan at the end of May, but a few of my friends that have done it where not to keen on it, and the race reports I have read are not too stellar.  Sorry JerseyMan.  

In early June I am doing Rev3 70.3 Quassy, which is a 45 minute trek north after you get off the Port Jeff Ferrry.  It's in Connecticut.  The race itself is AWESOME.  The race organizers put on an event that is as good, or better than an Ironman event.  It's located at Quassy Amusement Park, and you get free passes for the family to go on rides.  The course is also very beautiful; but this course is similar to Harriman.  It's a brutal, brutal, brutal Bike and Run.  If you don't train year-round on serious hills, this course will bury you.  Badly. 

That's all I got

I did my first HIM last year and I did Patriot in MA.  It was very well run and nutrition was very good.  There are choices of cold drinks every mile on the run and ice every other mile.  Also pretzels, and oranges.  The bike course is rolling.  Nothing hard at all.  I hate hills in general, so I say that for real. 

This year I am signed up for Eagleman.  I always look for early races since my work limits my training time in the summer and I have more time in the winter.  I hear RI is nice too, and that Ferry sounds like a nice way to get there.  It wouldn't help me out on time since I am in NYC, but it seems like a nice way to get there.

Good luck!

I thought Toughman was pretty beginner friendly.  Very well run with good support on the bike and the run.  The bike is slightly hilly, mostly rollers but the run is pretty hilly.

One other possibility is the Bassman half near Atlantic City.  Very flat course for both the bike and the run. 

There is also the Rev3 Quassy race which is extemely well organized but the toughest course of these three.

I've done Musselman, Syracuse 70.3 and Rhode Island 70.3. Musselman is definitely the most beginner friendly in terms of organization. It is low key with a lot of locals who do the race. The races put on by the WTC are very commercial and hyped up. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the races, but you will get some more competitive people trying to qualify and whatnot.

That being said, Musselman is not necessarily an easy course. There is one really steep climb on Swick Road that will really get your heart rate up. Other than that the ride isn't too bad. The run is tough with a couple of steep climbs. The surfaces aren't always great either. You go up a grass up and a steep gravel road. The support is great from the locals though. People come outside and line the streets. Many folks get their hoses out and spray you down as well. That's nice because, as someone mentioned, over the past couple of years this race has been brutally hot.

Syracuse 70.3 bike course is tough. If you aren't a strong rider, you might want to pass on this as your first HIM. You straight up climb for the first 13-14 miles of the ride. It can be deflating. I did the course the first year and know they have since changed the run course, so I can't really speak to that. I heard the new run is pretty nice though. The first year parking was TERRIBLE as well. There aren't many ways into the park, so it got really, really backed up. They delayed the start of the race by about 30 minutes because it was so bad. Hopefully that is something they have sorted out since then.

Rhode Island is another good option. The bike course is fair with some rolling hills. I only remember one pretty decent climb, but it was nothing too substantial if I can't remember much about it.  The run course is fairly difficult with a 1-1.5 mile climb that you have to do twice because it's a double loop. You do get to run down it each time too though. No real fan support during the bike, but for the run people come out and cheer. The biggest issues with this race are some of the roads for the bike are terrible. There was even a one mile no passing zone. I lost a water bottle that bounced out of a cage during this section and I was barely moving because I was stuck behind people. You cannot avoid the potholes. There are three or four sets of railroad tracks you have to go over too. Another thing to think about is that T1 and T2 are in different places here, so Saturday's preparation is a bit more involved.

I hope that's helpful. Good luck!