The Switzerland bike course is pretty fast, I think. It is too loops, with two real climbs per loop. One is a couple kilometer long climb, but you race down the back very fast (so time is made up). The other climb is steeper and shorter and has a quick downhill after. The roads are smooth and good for riding.

The IM Switzerland run course is four loops in the city. VERY flat with excellent crowd support throughout. So, it makes for some fast times. I’ve done Iroman Wisconsin, but not Canada. The bike in WI was slightly more turning, rolling and technical. The run in WI wasn’t too much harder. It was two loops in Madison and also had great crowd support.

How did you like Canada? I was hoping to do that last month, but work prevented it. Considering it for next year.

Best of luck!
Scott

How do you compare Switzerland IM bike course difficulty to other IM races you have done? What about the run? I did IM Canada in 2009 and was hoping to select a race that was not quite as steep / hilly.

Thanks

Thanks for stopping by scottstanzel.com and thanks for your question. I used my 12-25 cassette in Zurich. “The Beast” and “Heartbreak Hill” were two sections of the course that made me wish I had switched to the lower-geared 12-27 cassette that I had used at Ironman Wisconsin. The rest of the course was pretty flat and fast, however. So, my advice would be this — if you feel that you are a strong hill climber, I’d recommend sticking with the 12-25. If you need some extra help on the hills, go with the 27.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have additional questions.

Good luck!
Scott

My comparison of the two races -
http://scottstanzel.com/2009/08/24/wisconsin-vs-switzerland/

Thanks for the great description of your IM Switzerland experience. I am thinking about choosing between IM Wisconsin or Switzerland for next year. Since you have taken both, I really appreciate if could you help me to make my decision. Which one would you take?

Regards,
Pooyan