It's not narrow at all. Pretty wide actually.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Have done it a number of times and though the swim photos make it look crowded, it's fine when you're in the scrum.

Only issue is the water visibility due to the turbidity - usually can't see much beyond your extended fingertips.

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Team Kiwami
Instagram

They just had a post on Facebook showing that IMAZ is a rolling start this year and IM 70.3 Arizona is a wave start.

Just don't line up against the wall unless you are good at sprinting and are a sub 1:00 swimmer.

How are they going to do IMAZ as a rolling start? I don't see how that will work logistically.

Giant water slide off the Mill Ave Bridge gets my vote.

But it IS listed as having a rolling swim start here: http://www.ironman.com/...s.aspx#axzz3YQrTgAd0

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Steve Johnson
DARK HORSE TRIATHLON |

No mass start. Worst news of the day. So Effin stupid

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

meh....just get in and swim....it's not rocket science!

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"I would definitely smell her seat after a century ride"

If it has a slip n' slide entry, I'm totally game.

Can't just "get in and swim" in Tempe Town Lake. Last year it took over 20minutes to get everyone in the water. And that was for the mass start.

That's how long most of the rolling starts take....

Isn't louisville off a couple of boat piers?

Tempe town lake start is wide open, no need to wave start it. If people would self seed correctly it would be no big deal. I learned early on it
you are not a strong swimmer get out of the front or get swim over. With wave starts it never clears out you are always catching slower swimmers. Not to mention the cluster on the bike course with the slower athletes making it unsafe for the faster racers. Go back to mass starts.

The info steve linked to states it's a rolling start not a wave start. Sure, TTL is wide open, but the theory is they want to ease the congestion.

I was part of the first rolling start at IMCDA in 2013, and was really leery of it. Honestly, it was one of the more enjoyable swims I've had. Granted I was one of the first four or five people in the water, but compared to getting my start wrecked due to a kayaker at IMWI later that summer, or the maelstrom that is the start at Kona, it was downright luxurious.

If they can get the logistics worked out, I think it will probably result in a better experience for everyone.

I still have my complaints about it, well complaint, but for the most part I think the rolling start is fine.

then you're doing it wrong.......

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"I would definitely smell her seat after a century ride"

3000 people. And either a 20ft wide set of stairs plus 2-300m swim to start(2014) or a 50ft wide ledge to jump into the water and swim 100-150m(hoping you jump far enough out in the dark to not hit the cement ledge in the water...)

It's IM not doing it right

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

I promised my wife no IM this year but if it's slip n slide fuck that. I'll find a way to be there.

they could use that giant slide from the game show "wipeout".

Before the "SwimSmart" initiative went into effect a couple of years ago, Louisville had the best start in Ironman.

And, just think, if it hadn't been for massive rains that first year (2007), the time trial start never would have happened.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

No it sucks because it's first come first serve.

That ~250m swim to where the start line is helped eliminate ~ 15 people who couldn't make it from where we got into the water and the start line.

It's also a great warm up swim to get to the start line.

I agree there is no need to do a rolling start at IMAZ. It's perfect for a mass start imo. (i was out just inside the top 100 swimmers overall though)

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I was going to mention the warm up. Wasn't that part of Swim Start and all the unfortunate deaths. Seems contrary to their reasoning for rolling starts. If we see IMAZ switch to a 2 loop course, the rolling start makes total sense....approx 500 more entries...

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

Emailed IM. Still a mass start. They want to do it, but can't logistically.

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

It was fine. I started mid-pack and swam inside along the buoys. My biggest problem though was navigation out into the sun and since the course is NOT straight, I pretty much swam buoy to buoy. It gets crowded under the bridges but other than that I had a relatively uneventful swim.

I did IMAZ last year and poured through all the ST threads on this topic. I went direct middle, about 10-12 rows back from start line (positioned between bridge and start line). It was awesome and I had many choices for great swimming lines. Did 1:04 and never had a hand on me. Very easy swim. Compared to IMCDA (1:14) and IMSG (1:18) where it was mortal combat it felt like a local tri swim start. Plus, once you hit the turnaround, there is nobody around. No traffic at all. In fact, the turn was a non event and it was hard to find some good feet going back. I had one girl to swim with going back and just stayed on her hip (but gave her plenty of room to swim).

What I noticed. TONS and TONS will start on the right and hug the wall. You can tell they are scared out of their minds and they continue to hug it the whole way down. I breathe right side so I watched it for the first half. Some literally walking. The left side is for the true fasties and is a bit tight as you lose some ability to take any lines on the left side. After 5-10 minutes you could see the front swimmers all came from the left side. The middle was wide open. Take advantage of it.

One more thing I wore clear goggles and the sun was not a problem. Plenty of things to sight off.