HALF IRON COURSE
Are YOU Tough Enough to Conquer the Bluff?
COURSE OVERVIEW
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July 13, 2025
DATE OF RACE
8:00am
START TIME
8.5 hrs
TIME LIMIT
70.3
MILES
This challenging Half Iron course begins with a 1.2 mile swim in the clear waters of Horseshoe Bay. The 56 mile bike route includes a flat and fast stretch for 13 miles along the shoreline of the bay before a challenging double-loop through the bluff area north of Sturgeon Bay. The route includes 1,290 feet of elevation gain so get ready to use your lower gears. There are a few steep descents where participants will need to get out of the aero position and ride their rear brakes. The 13.1 mile run course takes participants north to the village of Egg Harbor, through the Harbor Dock area, up Harbor Heights Road, through the retail district of the village, up the infamous Bluff Pass Road (200 foot climb in 1/2 mile), and through the stacked stone fences of Horseshoe Bay Golf Course before a downhill descent to the finish line.
RACE DETAILS
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RACE LOCATION
Frank Murphy Park
Town of Egg Harbor
(Door County, Wisconsin)
CATEGORIES
Individual or Team (2-3 people)
INDIVIDUAL
Male & Female
DIVISIONS
14 & Under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+
AWARDS
Awards (Olympic-style medals with sewn ribbons) are provided to the top three finishers in each age group division and relay team division. The top three overall male and female individual finishers also receive engraved crystal lighthouses to commemorate their achievement. Participants may receive both an overall award and an age group award unless they choose to start in wave one (“elite wave”), in which case they are ineligible per USA Triathlon rules. The event offers no prize money.
PACKET PICK UP @ MURPHY PARK
Friday, July 11, 2025, Noon – 6 pm
Saturday, July 12, 2025, 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday, July 13, 2025, 6 am – 7:30 am
PARKING (RACE DAY)
Parking on race day will be available at Horseshoe Bay Farms across from Murphy Park and just north of Horseshoe Bay Road on County Highway G (Egg Harbor Road). Signs and volunteers will direct the participants and volunteers.
TIME CUT-OFF’S
- Bike-to-Run Cutoff = 2:00 pm
- Overall Time Limit = 5:30 pm (8 1/2 hours after the start of the final wave)
- Run Course Closure: The run course rest stations will close at a pace of 16 minutes per mile beginning at 2 pm. So, for instance, the first run course rest station at mile 1 will close at 2:16 pm. The event’s Follow Vehicle will notify any slow moving participants if they are in danger of not meeting this schedule so they are aware that the fluid stations ahead of them will be closed. These participants will be offered free transportation back to Murphy Park, or, if they choose to continue, they will be offered a water bottle to carry but from that point on they must be self-supported.
- Note: These cut-off’s are subject to change on race day based on any delays or changes in the course distances related to weather incidents.
RELAY INFORMATION
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RELAY TEAM DIVISIONS
Male, Female, Mixed
RELAY TEAM INFORMATION
Teams will receive one timing chip corresponding to your bib number. The timing chip is your “baton.” It must be handed off between teammates in order for your time to be recorded. The timing chip must be worn ON THE ANKLE—not the wrist—at all times or the timing mats will not register your presence.
Your assigned location IN THE TRANSITION AREA is the hand-off point. All members of the team may enter this area but they must be body marked or wear a bib number and/or helmet sticker. When waiting in the Transition Area, stay out of the way of other competitors.
All members of the relay team may enter the FINISH AREA to receive their medals or have a group photo taken. Again, they must be body marked or wear a bib number and/or helmet sticker to enter.
RELAY TEAMMATES ALSO COMPETING AS INDIVIDUALS
Relay teams ARE allowed to have a team member as the swimmer who is simultaneously competing as an individual. It is CRITICAL that this team member, who will be wearing more than one timing chip, NOT confuse their individual timing chip with the relay timing chip. Doing so may jeopardize the results, the overall standings and may result in disqualification.
SPLIT DETAILS
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Select a split below to view more details about that aspect of the race.
1.2 mi
DISTANCE
8:00 am
SWIM EVENT BEGINS
1 person every 3-4 seconds
(Time Trial format)
SWIM START INFORMATION
The Door County Triathlon uses a modified time-trial (single file, one-swimmer-at-a-time) start. Participants approach the start line when their age/gender group is called but will start individually on a whistle blown every 3 seconds.
All swimmers are required to wear a swim cap for ease of spotting by lifeguards. You may wear the swim cap provided at packet pick up or wear your own if you prefer.
All participants should report to the swim start area 15 minutes prior to their scheduled wave start.
ROUND ORANGE guide buoys mark the route and should always be on the swimmers left side. They are located every 50 yards (150 feet) and are numbered 1 through 40.
LARGE TRIANGULAR ORANGE buoys mark the turns for the swimmers.
WATER SAFETY
There will be 25-30 YMCA lifeguards trained in open water rescue assigned along the swim course route. Lifeguards and members of the local Sheriff’s department will be in rowboats, paddleboards, pontoon boats, personal water craft, and swimming freely. DNR boats and/or Coast Guard cutters will be stationed on the outside perimeter of the course to keep recreational watercraft away.
Swimmers exit the water via the boat launch ramp which will be carpeted.
Volunteers on the ramp will assist with wetsuit removal.
WETSUIT REQUIREMENT
WETSUITS ARE REQUIRED OF HALF IRON PARTICIPANTS
Although the average water temperature in Horseshoe Bay in late July exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit, Half Iron participants MUST HAVE a wetsuit available in case of cold water temperatures. If water temperatures are below 65 degrees, wetsuits will be REQUIRED of Half Iron participants. In such a scenario, Half Iron participants without wetsuits will not be allowed to compete. If the water temperature exceeds 65 degrees, participants will not be required to wear wetsuits. If the water temperature exceeds 78 degrees, participants will not be allowed to wear wetsuits in accordance with USA Triathlon rules. Finally, if conditions are dangerous (water temperature below 60 degrees and/or very heavy chop), race organizers reserve the right to abbreviate or cancel the swim portion of the triathlon. In no case will there be refunds or rebates.
BIKE TRANSITION
Only participants and volunteers will be permitted in the transition area. Bikes MUST BE WALKED in the transition area. Mount/Dismount Zones are located just outside the transition area. When removing your bike from the transition area after finishing, please stay out of the way of participants who are still “on the clock”.
56.0 mi
DISTANCE
VIEW
BIKE MAP
BIKE ROUTE: 56.0 MILES
BIKE COURSE MAP – PRINTABLE (PDF)
BIKE COURSE MAP – RIDEWITHGPS.COM
BIKE COURSE ELEVATION CHART
DESCRIPTION: The 56.0 mile bike route includes a flat and fast stretch for the first 13 miles along the shoreline of the bay before a challenging double-loop through the bluff area north of Sturgeon Bay. The route includes 1,290 feet of elevation gain so get ready to use your lower gears. There are also a couple steep descents where participants will need to get out of the aero position on ride their rear brakes. The first steep descent is at miles 18 and 43 on Martin Road; the second is at miles 25 and 50 on Reynolds Road crossing Carlsville Road; and the final is at miles 28 and 53 on Monument Point Drive. The Monument Point Drive descent is the steepest–dropping 160 feet in a half mile–and there is exposed rock on the right side. Participants must get out of the aero position and ride their rear brakes to avoid a serious crash or injury along this section. After completing the second loop, participants ride a flat 2.5 mile section along Bay Shore Drive back to Murphy Park.
BIKE ROUTE DETAILS
Cut-off Time for Completion of Bike Event = 2:00 pm (see above)
Bike helmets are required. No exceptions.
Bar ends covering the opening on the end of the bike’s handlebars are required.
All bikes are required to display a bike number.
Crossing the centerline of the road is prohibited and grounds for automatic disqualification.
BIKE COURSE FLUIDS: Fluids will be available at the start and on the course at the start and at miles 9, 23, 34 and 48. On average, that translates to a bottle exchange every 11 miles. Sports-capped 20-ounce water bottles will be handed out at each bottle exchange. These bottles will ride comfortably in bike cages. Gatorade Endurance Formula sport bottles will be available at all of the bottle exchanges. The Gatorade bottles WILL ride comfortably in bike cages. Participants are welcome to supply their own bike bottle and fluids if they so choose.
HAMMER GEL: Hammer Gel will be available on the course at mile markers 9 and 34. Flavors TBD.
ON COURSE BIKE SUPPORT: Local bike shop Pete’s Garage (Green Bay) will provide on-course bike support.
COURSE MARSHALS: Course marshals and public safety officers are stationed throughout the course and at all turns.
Drafting (following within approximately three bike lengths on the rear wheel of a participant in front of you) is prohibited. Draft marshals on motorcycles will patrol the course for violations. Participants caught drafting will be assessed penalties to their bike finish time.
Drafting penalties:
1 violation = 4 minutes
2 violations = 8 minutes
3 violations= disqualification
13.1 mi
DISTANCE
VIEW
RUN MAP
RUN ROUTE: 13.1 MILES
RUN COURSE FLUIDS: Water and Gatorade Endurance Formula will be available in the transition are and at the finish line. In addition, there will be NINE on course fluid stations offering water and Gatorade Endurance Formula at mile markers 0 (Start), 1.5, 3.1, 4.2, 5.5, 7.1, 8.0, 9.7, 10.8, and 12.3. On average, this translates to a water station every 1.3 miles.
HAMMER GEL: Hammer Gel will be available on the course at mile markers 3.1 and 8.0. Flavors include raspberry, espresso, huckleberry, apple-cinnamon, vanilla, and peanut butter-chocolate.
TIME LIMIT
In keeping with the overall 8.5 hour time limit (5:30 pm barring delays) and the 2 pm bike-to-run cutoff, the run course rest stations will close at a pace of 16 minutes per mile beginning at 2 pm. The event’s Follow Vehicle will notify any slow moving participants if they are in danger of not meeting this schedule so they are aware that the fluid stations ahead of them will be closed. These participants will be offered free transportation back to Murphy Park, or, if they choose to continue, they will be offered a water bottle to carry but from that point on they must be self-supported.
SAFETY
Participants should be aware that many portions of the bike and run courses are open to motor vehicle traffic. Even the “closed” sections of the course have residential housing and it is possible that a car could emerge from a driveway despite our best efforts to notify the public about the event. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF MOTOR VEHICLES ON THE COURSE. Course marshals and public safety officers are stationed throughout the course and at all turns to help prevent collisions.
FINISH AREA
The finish area is located in the south end of Murphy Park on the beach, the parking lot and the pavilion.
Observation bleachers will be available to spectators along the finish line chute.
The post-race party includes free water, Gatorade Endurance Formula, beer, soda, bagels, fruit, and a pig & corn roast. Each participant will have bib tags for a pulled pork sandwich, a roast cob of corn and two beers.
A DJ will be playing music and announcing names all day long at the finish line.
Volunteers will assist in removing timing chips.
USA TRIATHLON RULES
USA Triathlon rules apply to all aspects of the Door County Triathlon. A complete listing of the rules can be found at www.usatriathlon.org
AWARDS
Every finisher receives a medal.
Additional awards are given to:
Top 3 Overall Male & Female Athletes
Top 3 Male & Female Athletes in each age category
Top 3 Relay Teams in 3 Categories: Male, Female, Mixed
Door County Triathlon currently offers no prize money.