8/16/15
Paul Lenz
Challenge Poconos Mountain 70.3
5:42:30
Age Group: 9th/32 Overall: 122nd/454
Turned out to be a real nice weekend in Eastern PA, while finishing my first half ironman. The course was extremely scenic in the confines of the National Park/Delaware Water Gap Area, and also challenging with many hills. The only flat part of the course was the swim on the Delaware river! To complement the hills, abundant shade was present, closed roads for the bike, and about 4-6 miles of the run on trails. The finish was picturesque heading towards the river on the grounds of the historic Shawnee Inn with a backdrop of mountains. A nice post race spread with a complementary beverage of the adult variety from the local Shawnee Brewery followed. If looking for a challenging 70.3 and don’t mind the 5.5-6 hr drive east, this is a race to consider. Stroudsburg PA is a nice small town close by and convenient to stay in. Check out the Challenge website for some pictures and explanation of this race for yourself.