Billing himself as the “Iron Cowboy,” Lawrence aims to conquer 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 days. Set to finish Tuesday, he has said he wants to push the limits of human endurance while raising funds for an organization that claims to fight human trafficking.

His plan is simple, if maniacal: He hits the local pool at 5:30 a.m. and swims for about 90 minutes. Then he hops on his bike for a loop around Lindon that takes five or six hours. Then, after a break, he starts his daily marathon, which normally takes around seven hours. It all adds up to about 15 hours of daily exercise, which supporters can, and do, follow online or even in person.

But controversy has trailed him, too. Ironman, the corporation that owns the majority of triathlon events worldwide, has urged Lawrence not to use its brand name. Some triathletes have criticized his use of IV injections to stay hydrated, because a dose of more than 100 milliliters in a 12-hour period would be prohibited in a World Anti-Doping Agency signatory event. (WADA, which has no jurisdiction over Lawrence’s event, declined to comment.)

I think there only one real group of gripes. This is conflating his tris with Ironmans while doing a wetsuit pool swim, draft legal bike and using IVs for recovery.

It he stuck to ironcowboy140.6x100 there is no misrepresentation.

As it stands triathlon already has drafting and triathlons have pool swims. But ironmans don't have wetsuit pool swims and they don't have draft legal rides and IVs are not part of the WADA code that all normal triathlons fall under.

It's conflating what he did with Ironmans that most of the gripes come from.

okay. but when i look at his own - what - think it was his IG page, what that says is 100 full distance triathlons. so, did it begin by saying he was going to do 100 ironmans in 100 days, and then he changed it? i mean, i hear you, but we have this problem in our sport with nomenclature. if you're this guy, and you want to speak to the slowtwitch audience, you're good with "full distance." but if you want to speak to a broader audience, then it's kind of got to be "ironman," in the same way that if you're trying to break 2hr in that exhibition nike put on and you want the world to know what it is you're doing, you've got to call it a "marathon."

okay. but when i look at his own - what - think it was his IG page, what that says is 100 full distance triathlons. so, did it begin by saying he was going to do 100 ironmans in 100 days, and then he changed it? i mean, i hear you, but we have this problem in our sport with nomenclature. if you're this guy, and you want to speak to the slowtwitch audience, you're good with "full distance." but if you want to speak to a broader audience, then it's kind of got to be "ironman," in the same way that if you're trying to break 2hr in that exhibition nike put on and you want the world to know what it is you're doing, you've got to call it a "marathon."

The difference here is marathon is a generic term and Ironman is a brand name owned by WTC

OK I see your angle. If Kipchoge broke 2 hrs in the marathon under non IAAF rules, then James covered 100x100 Ironmans under Ironcowboy rules, if and only if we are talking to the general media....it is why I had a beef with the entire "sub 2 marathon broken" headline myself. That was not a marathon by any normal athletic standards, it was under Nike rules.

Hey I am supporter of what Kiphchoge achieved and what James achieved. I'm just not a strong fan of misrepresenting achievements (just like I don't like candidates that inflate resumes). On ST I have been a strong fan of the athletic achievement, while be a critic of the conflation of what he is doing with standard Ironman. I think I have been objective from both angles

I’m looking for Michael Shapiro’s email. Not to tell him that xxxxCowboy did precisely ZERO Ironmans, but rather to tell him that HE has ZERO credibility as a journalist for either not already knowing that or for knowing and printing a falsehood.

The difference here is marathon is a generic term and Ironman is a brand name owned by WTC

Would “iron distance triathlon” work?

Gripes:
1. Drafting on the bike
2. iVs
3. Outside help (including pacing from people who joined him during the day, so not from “competitors”)
4. Pool swim

But of course the real gripe is not that his rules are different from the rules of triathlon, much less Ironman, but that blurring the lines and wildly overreacting to Ironman’s letter James is creating confusion and controversy where none are necessary. Being a good marketer he is probably doing it on purpose.

Macca is doing a similar thing with the sub-7 sub-8 talking about the attempt to do “the fastest Ironman ever” under 7 or 8 hours, respectively, and “break the record”.

thank you. i appreciate that. this is exactly what i asked for. i would however ask this gentle question, in the spirit of elucidation, and while respecting all opinions on this: what makes what he did against the "rule of triathlon?"

OK I see your angle. If Kipchoge broke 2 hrs in the marathon under non IAAF rules, then James covered 100x100 Ironmans under Ironcowboy rules, if and only if we are talking to the general media....it is why I had a beef with the entire "sub 2 marathon broken" headline myself. That was not a marathon by any normal athletic standards, it was under Nike rules.

I think it said (says) that he was doing 100 Ironman distance events.
They have been careful not to promote Ironman or promote what he’s doing as Ironmans but might have slipped a couple times in live feeds.

What is odd to me is that Ironman is heavily promoting their Virtual Races and could have partnered with someone like him to carry the flag for the value of self guided events during COVID season.

Are there any 140.6 races that allow drafting? I would say that pack riding the bike section, in a 140.6 mile endeavor, is against the rules of triathlon. Let alone the IVs and whatnot.

Within the link visible within your screen shot, at one time, the word phrase ‘Ironman distance’ (possibly upper case, but might’ve been lower case ‘Ironman’) was used. It appears to be changed now.