Favorite races, to help pick next year's schedule

My repeats will be:

Lake Minnetonka Tri. 

Tri Tonka, It's too hilly for me, but I've done every one of them so far (2)

Maple Grove Tri.

Looking for two more....

I also want to spectate at Ironman Wisconsin...

I'd like to do the Lifetime Fitness Olympic course in July.  I know it's a busy race but it's so close to home and I bike/run/swim the course often. 

I'm looking for a Sprint to do in June.  I'm between Buffalo, Lake Minnetonka, and Manitou.  Any recommendations for those?  I'm going to do it with a friend as his first tri so something beginner friendly would be great.

Also thinking about Cinco Du Mayo as a early season race.  So many options around here

Lake Minnetonka is very beginner friendly, you MUST sign up when registration opens. It filled by January this year.

Buffalo is "beginner friendly" in the sense of lots of beginners and pretty easy. But it's the race that annoys me the absolute most, it's very very crowded.

Oh, thanks!  Goldie's run might be just the thing for me.

I don't know Lucky Seven, but it reminds me I wanted to sign up for Get Lucky 7k with my volunteer "bones"

I would highly recommend the Dick Beardsley half marathon up in Detroit Lakes, 2nd weekend in September.  Nice race course and overall friendly vibe.  It's on my list of every year races now.

I really enjoyed both the Chisago Lakes HIM and the SuperiorMan HIM this year.  I would recommend them highly, and although I've yet to decide what I want to do next season, if it's half iron-distance they'll be on my list.

I'm constantly surprised that no one knows about the Morris Tinman tri.  It's early, probably the earliest tri in MN, end of April.  1100 yard pool swim, 18 mile bike and 10k run.  The weather the past two years has been borderline epic which I think makes it all the more fun.  If you're an avg. age grouper you have a darn good chance at a podium spot there.  Even I got a podium spot in my AG.

I'll most like do New Bri, St. Paul sprint, Chisago and Square Lake 1/2 again. A lot is dependent on how I do at Coeur d'Alene.

A run I would recommend is the William O'Brien 10 mile (it's really 10.5) and a fun, not super technical trail run. It's a low key event, but it's on my to do list every year. I'll be at CDA though, so I'm a bit sad to miss it this year.

I really like the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon in the spring.  It's beatiful run and well organized race. 

I'd also vote for the LifeTime Tri in July if you want a really 'pro' feeling tri (quite a few pros compete, big purse, professional setup, etc), however, if you are doing the sprint distance, you have like a 2 hour wait after transition closes before your wave goes.  Maple Grove also puts on a great triathlon.