The race takes place the day after the full distance. The two events really bring the town to life one last time before the winter season. However, that did mean the 70.3 doesn't get underway until 12pm and bike check-in is the morning of the race. This wouldn't be much of an issue if this wasn't italy in september. It was 30° by 10am and we certainly felt the heat as we queued to get our timing chip upon exiting bike check-in. Besides that, the organisation was great. The swim took place in the calm Adriatic sea, no jellies. Then you head up the beach into possibly the longest transition zone in Europe, over 1200m of bikes! It definitely costs you a bit of time and you're left wondering if this counts towards the total distance of the race. Nevertheless, the bike course is flat, fast and overall quite beautiful. After exiting the town and dodging some potholes, you make your way through the salt plains and past the pink flamingoes towards a dual carriageway closed especially for the race, that's where you can put down some huge watts. You exit this dual carriageway only to meet the singular hill on the bike course, it's quite a steep 1.5km kicker up past vineyards into a small village full of spectators. You then come back down and take the same route back into Cervia. Watch out for a small headwind on the way back. Also, it's a draft-fest on the dual carriageway, I had to spray my iso mix all over a peloton that was forming behind me to get them off my wheel. The run is a scorcher, it was 32° when I set off on the three loop course which takes you through the town and off towards the port. There are a couple of cobbled sections. Aid stations were well-equipped with plenty of showers and ice. The finish line is quite cool. It's on the beach and you run down a particularly long finishing straight built on the sand up onto the elevated IM finisher's arch. The post-race food was very good, plenty to choose from and very friendly staff. I definitely recommend