Big George Half (Lake George Triathlon Festival)
Lake George, United States · September · Alpha Win
Why people love it
- Beach swim in Lake George with an Adirondack mountain backdrop, 1.9 km (1.2 mi)
- One start and finish area at Battlefield Park, close to Lake George village
- 90 km (56 mi) bike north past the Schroon River and Brant Lake, mostly rollers
- Shaded 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run on the Warren County Bikeway
- Small field of about 850 across the festival in 2024; finishers praise the race director
Watch out for
- Bike has an early climb then rollers; one rider called it challenging, and elevation gain is not published
- Bike and run can feel lonely, and one runner says it is easy to take a wrong turn
- A few bike-path stretches where passing and oncoming riders meet
- Labor Day weekend in a resort village: expect busy, pricey lodging
- Ironman 70.3 Lake George is planned for June 2027 and may change the local scene
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
Forum posters from 2016 to 2019 praise the vibe and race director; no recent race reports, and some talk of weak value. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
Finishers call it well run, with a competent director and roomy transition; the evidence is a handful of older posts. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.2
The 90 km (56 mi) bike is described as challenging and lonely, with a few risky bike-path spots, though the lake swim is straightforward. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage3.0
An early climb then rollers, a path run that some found hard, and no field-wide times published. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalUsually3.8
Early-September lake water is usually mild, but no temperatures are published, so wetsuit legality is assumed. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable4.0
An early-September Adirondack lake is likely comfortable, but no water temperatures are documented. · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm3.7
A beach start on a large lake with no chop reports, though open water can pick up wind. · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy3.9
A straightforward 1.9 km (1.2 mi) lake swim from a beach; distance is quoted as 2.1 km (1.3 mi) in one year. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceGreat4.2
One finisher called the lake swim beautiful, with Adirondack mountains as the backdrop. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.4
A 2018 finisher found the roads fine apart from a couple of spots. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.1
One finisher never felt unsafe around traffic, but road closures are not documented. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.0
The route follows the Schroon River and Brant Lake through the Adirondacks. · Low confidence
- WindMostly calm3.6
No report mentions wind either way. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedAverage3.1
One early climb then rollers over 90 km (56 mi); no field speed data found. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessRolling3.1
Elevation gain is not published; riders describe it as anything from mostly rollers to challenging. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.4
Mostly simple roads, but oncoming and passing riders meet on a bike path in a few places. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportSparse2.2
A rider and a runner both call the bike and run lonely. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.5
Aid stations are not described and nobody complains about them. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.5
A shaded bike-path run; scenery is not a feature in any report. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsModerate3.3
Shaded for much of the way, but one finisher found it harder than expected and another warns of wrong turns. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessMostly flat3.5
A bike-path run that finishes with a descent; elevation gain is not published. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Air was 10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F) at the 2022 start, and early September is usually mild. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.3
Labor Day weekend weather; no weather disruptions were found. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.4
Lake George with an Adirondack backdrop and a shared start and finish at Battlefield Park. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.0
One start and finish area, but the bike and run spread out away from the village. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
The lake sits at about 100 m (330 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early2.6
Labor Day weekend in a resort village should be busy; no race-specific lodging reports found. · Low confidence
- Hotel valuePricey2.2
Peak holiday weekend resort pricing is likely; no race-specific reports found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.7
Battlefield Park is near Lake George village, so some lodging should be walkable. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.9
Albany airport is about 95 km (60 mi) away by road. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.8
All races share one start and finish area at Battlefield Park. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Lake George village is a busy resort town with plenty of restaurants. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Lake George, New York, United States
- Typical month
- September
- Latest or next date
- 4 September 2027
- Organiser
- Alpha Win
- Field size
- About 850 athletes
- First held
- 2011
- Distances
- 1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim, 90 km (56 mi) bike, 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Lake George, from the beach by Battlefield Park (Million Dollar Beach / Lake George Beach) (lake)
- Bike laps
- 1
- Key climbs
- One early climb out of Lake George, then rollers back
- Run laps
- 1
- Run shade
- Shaded for much of it, per a forum finisher
- Altitude
- 100 m (330 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Albany International (ALB), 95 km (59 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Lake George village
- Booking
- Labor Day weekend is peak season in a resort village; inference only, no race-specific hotel reports found.
What racers and reviewers say
- Slowtwitch: Lake George 70.3 aka Big GeorgeRaced 2018 · forum · Positive
Raced in 2018 and planned to return. Bike is one early climb then rollers back down to the lake, roads fine apart from a couple of areas, and traffic never felt unsafe. Run was harder than expected, perhaps from overcooking the bike. Praised the vibe and a very competent race director; small field with roomy transition.
“The vibe was awesome”
- Slowtwitch: Lake George 70.3 aka Big GeorgeRaced 2019 · forum · Mixed
Calls the bike challenging and pretty lonely, with a few places on a bike path where passing and oncoming riders could collide. Run is also lonely though shaded for much of the way, and it is possible to get lost. Likes the finish: a descent, then about 0.8 km (0.5 mi) cruising in.
- Slowtwitch: Lake George 70.3 aka Big GeorgeRaced 2016 · forum · Positive
Did the aquabike in 2016. Found the lake swim beautiful and the bike mostly rollers rather than anything severe. Said the event was well run.
- Lake George Examiner: Alpha 70.3 2021Raced 2021 · article · Positive
Local report of the 2021 half: swim from the beach opposite Battlefield Park, bike north to Warrensburg, along the Schroon River and around Brant Lake, run on the Warren County Bikeway. Over 600 athletes; the organizer was pleased with turnout despite pandemic travel limits. Winners 4:25:11 and 5:10:58.
- Lake George Examiner: Lake George Triathlon 2022Raced 2022 · article · Mixed
Photo report of the 2022 festival, when the half was branded Alpha 70.3. Notes a 1.3 mi (2.1 km (1.3 mi)) swim from Million Dollar Beach and air in the 50s F (10-15 C) at the Saturday start.
Show 2 more
- Lake George Examiner: Lake George Triathlon 2024Raced 2024 · article · Positive
Report on the 18th annual festival: about 850 athletes across three races, one shared start/finish at Battlefield Park, spectators with cowbells and signs. Confirms the half bike loop through Warrensburg and Brant Lake.
- Slowtwitch: Ironman 70.3 Lake George NY June 2027Raced 2026 · forum · Mixed
Posters debate Ironman's incoming Lake George 70.3. One says Alpha brands its events like Ironman but falls short for nearly the same price; another disputes the price comparison. No firsthand course detail, but shows Alpha's half has mixed reputation on price/value.
Raced Big George Half (Lake George Triathlon Festival)? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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