Not sure if the same racers or not...

...we saw one male being helped out of the swim after lap 1 with a towel up to face w/ some blood. Looks like he was kicked or punched near his eye.

...we were walking up to Cobble Hill, we saw a few ambulances just before the Boat House and someone said that a spectator and cyclist collided.

The volunteers were great and there were lots of aids stations but most of the cups of water or Gatorade that I got had been out in the sun for a while and were warm to hot. Warm fluids do work well hydration as the body processes them quicker than cold, but they don't cool you down and no body likes drinking a warm cup of water on a hot day so they drink less.

I was one who DNFed. This was my fourth year in a row competing here and the conditions were perfect. I ended up with a mechanical issue that couldnt be fixed around mile 35 of the bike. Really sucks and I am heart broken!
The guy who got pulled from the water was a club member of mine. He got severely kicked in the jaw and was vomiting. He also DNFed.

I did it in 2012. It didn't feel exceptionally hot but when I think it ended up being in he high 80's. There were people dropping left and right on the run course. There were ambulances and golf carts running around all day. I talked to a first aid volunteer the next day. She said she hadn't seen it that bad in years.

And I hit it differently than you it looks. I'm a local and ride there almost every weekend. I had bad wind down Keene but nothing bad through notch at all. I think it changed a lot through the day which is typical.

I agree it wasn't terrible for me on the run (in terms of heat anyway...), but I also did IM Texas this year. For many locals Sunday was decently hot. I mean they cancelled a nearby marathon because it was 88 and "people were dropping like flies."

I think during awards it was mentioned that they think because it was nicer out people weren't keeping up with hydration/nutrition like they should have.

It was actually a kid who ran out into the road and took out the 2nd or 3rd place Pro Woman.

I worked men's change during T2.

Lot of salt caked on just about everybody coming through the tent. I think with it being drier than people anticipated, we didn't see folks go through and get themselves as hydrated as they should have during the bike. I think a lot of people also stop getting fluids in during the climb up from Whiteface, and it eats them alive late.

Long day at the office for a lot of people. Glad to be there.

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I DNF'd after the bike. I thought there was something medically wrong with me.

I was wrong. Turns out, I'm just a pussy and an idiot. But, live and learn.

Conditions were absolutely perfect....I don't see how you could possibly blame the conditions.

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Speak for yourself - I cannot stand drinking cold liquids when working out - especially water. At the one aid station that was putting ice in the coke I had to stop and ask them to pour it warm.

As far as for cooling, the warm water did a very good job cooling me down.

FWIW another factor that probably contributed to many people melting down was the lack of humidity. On a cool day in IMAZ in '14, I under-hydrated and paid the price forgetting how much moisture we lose just from breathing in dry environments. At IMLP on Sunday, the dryness combined with low 80 degree temperature probably did many people in..

Great new cooling product I am going to plug(I am not connected to the business or making one dime off of this):
Coach Patrick McCrann's Race Saver Bag... You fill it with ice, strap it to your palm or place it under your hat. I basically filled mine every 1-2 aid stations & stuck it under my hat.. cool water dripped down on me all day.

get yours at:
https://mile18inc.com/

Agree with swim. The times prior I did IMLP was the mass start. I had much less contact during the swim during the mass start than I did here. I started in the 1:01-1:11 corral and felt it was full contact the first lap and the back half of the second loop as slower swimmers were being caught...many doing breast stroke and even a back stroker! I could feel the slower time. As for the heat, it was some of the best conditions I have experienced on the course (5th time at IMLP). There is always wind along Whiteface, and the run felt hot on the first loop due to lack of shade. However, there was no humidity. This course is one that sneaks up on you if you are not careful with pacing and nutrition. After 4 attempts, I finally got it right on the 5th!

Glad you had a good race. I saw the back stroker as well!

I loved it out there, the conditions were great. As you said, the 1st loop of the run was hot due to the direct sun and that cooked me a bit. I was filling my hat with ice at almost every aid station & had to slow down for a few miles near the beginning of the second loop but recovered and got back to my pace. Only my second time but I'll take that weather over the lightning and rain from 2 years ago.

That's exactly right. When you consider that you have 18-20 miles of climbing on the way to Wilmington / Whiteface after the turn on Jay, and then the start of the second loop out of LP, you can really set yourself up for a really long day if the nutrition and pacing are not right. The run is tricky as well, because the first 3-4 are downhill mostly, so you can go out faster than your pacing plan is and then you'll pay on the rest of the marathon.

That being said, I really like those elements on this course because it challenges on these little things that you don't necessarily prep for in training (unless you train on course). Add the long downhill onto Keene, and the finish at the Oval and this course has it all. Awesome.

Agreed. Swim was mayhem. I made the mistake of starting with my wife back in the 1:30 group. Had to swim through a lot of people. We both had a great race although my wife ended up in the hospital with severe dehydration and is still hurting. She did amazing considering it was her first IM. Hopefully not her last;)

I went to the medical tent for a heel issue and ended up in the massage tent (was really no biggie), but when on medical i saw a LOT of people with IV's due to dehydration. This is definitely a tricky course.