Oklahoma City has one of the best independent iron distance triathlons in the country, the REDMAN triathlon. The Redman triathlon weekend has four different races - full iron and half iron distance, and full and half aquabike.

The race venue is at Lake Hefner in northwest Oklahoma City. The lake is large enough for a 1.2 mile swim loop, although close to shore, you can stand for part of the loop. The water can be a little muddy, especially if it rains.

The bike portion of the iron-distance course is a double out and back that goes along Lake Hefner for 3 miles, then heads out through a suburban part of town to the countryside. The course is not flat, but there aren't any real climbs - the largest elevation change is about 20 feet, according to the web site.

The run portion is pretty nice - four loops along paved trails besides Lake Hefner, with aid stations every mile. Spectators can cheer from a few bar/restaurants with outside seating right on the course, or from pretty much anywhere else on the trails.