What do you think the typical weight of a top 100 IM finisher is?
I’m sort of curious as I am a decent climber relative to my overall ability on the bike. Climbing being mainly a function of Power/Weight, I do well at 160 lbs compared the 180 - 200lb crowd that seems pretty typical.
However, it may only seem typical because I’m an MOP cyclist in tri. Are the guys up front (not the pros, but the top AGers) significantly lighter? IOW, would I not really gain any ground on a hilly course?
Well, I’ve been a top 100 finisher. I’m 5 10 and 152-156. I too tend to be a stronger climber. At 6 ft. I don’t think you’ll see a lot of guys too much over 165…the run is just too important, and all else being equal, less weight = faster run times.
Do you out climb the guys around you in a race? IOW, are you a smaller guy in the top 100 or just “typical?”
Top 100 at Kona, or at your typical NAS IM - might be a difference there I don’t know.
I was #61 at IMWI 06 and #29 at IMAZ 07 - my “offiical” race weight at both was 182.
I’m between 190-195, and I’m a top-100 arriver at most races I’m in…
OH - you meant in the RACE? I thought you meant top 100 people to arrive at transition in the morning to set everything up. My bad…
I finished 10th at Muncie Endurathon last year (10th car in the parking lot). I’m shooting for top 5 this year. I’m thinking if I draft off the newspaper delivery truck, I might gain a few minutes.
Top 100 at Kona… 6’4" and was just under 180 last year. I am usually the biggest person around me.
Do you out climb the guys around you in a race? IOW, are you a smaller guy in the top 100 or just “typical?”
Generally, yes - training and racing, climbing seems to be biggest strength on the bike, I love hilly courses, they seem perfect for my body type. I would say I’m about typical in terms of size. I think you get into the low 140’s and below, it get’s hard to have the necessary strength for the swim and bike. I’m not saying it’s impossible, obviously there are some blazing fast “small” guys, just seems like most guys I know that are that light, are not finishing top 100 in an IMNA race. I’ve often thought my ideal weight would be about 148, but I’ve never been disciplined or motivated enough to lose those extra 7 lbs!
I weighed in at IMLP last year (fully clothed) at 165lbs. Im just a hair under 6’2". I was 34th overall, won the 18-24 AG. Climbing on the bike is definately my strength compared to my power on the flats, so a hilly course definately is good for me. My running is pretty strong as well, swimming is not my weapon.
I think the top pros are not always the lightest guys out there. Guys like Bjorn, I know hes probably not the best IM example (no offense Bjorn), can kick ass on the swim and bike and are good enough runners to hold off the attack. I think the lightest pros are usually the best bikers and runners.
Barry, I am 5’9" and about 141-142 lbs. As you can guess my I run OK, but the longer the bike the worse I am. Never did an IM, but I am sure I would be looking at a 6hr bike split, so no way I would be in the top 100.
BarryP,
I’m 6’0 and I race right in the neighborhood of 180. I was 91st at Lake Placid last year.
I suffered in the hills.
I’m 6’2 and weigh 200 pounds, i finished top 20 at Ironman Florida last year.
I’ve been top 100 at IMLP a couple of times. 5’ 4’’ and 117 lbs. This is my first year with a power meter and I’d estimate my FTP power at right about 200 watts based some recent sprint tri results. I think I am in very comparable fitness to past years when I’ve done IMLP and have ridden 5:2x on that course. The hillier the better for me.
interesting question.
what i find puzzling and sort of counter-intuitive is that as i have (unscientifically) observed the very top AG racers at competitive olympic distance tri’s vs. their AG counterparts at IM distance tri’s, it appears that the fast olympic dist. racers are lighter than their IM counterparts.
Never been in the top 100 at an IM, and since I’ll probably never do another I just don’t see it happening. But I have been top 20 OV in 6 HIM’s over the last 3 years. I’m closer to 6ft then 5-11 and 3/4, weigh ~ 152 when I try to get light to race and ~157-59 off season. stick around 154-156 most of the time.
I don;t climb great, no one ever confused me for a climber in the bike races I’ve done, b ut seem to climb as well if not better then the people around me in triathlons.
I think you are approaching the problem wrong, it’s not would you gain time but can you ride over a hilly course fast enough to leave yourself in position to use your run speed to move up throught the field? You will outclimb some and get outclimbed by others, but you will outrun most. Your swim…well…
edit: Are you going to the Blackwater duathlon? I think I’ll try to race there as I’ve made a bet with a friend and spotted him 12 minutes.
6 feet tall
1998 IM Canada 10:08 33rd overall 148 pounds
2005 IM Arizona 9:40 32nd overall 160 pounds
I was definately MUCH faster in 1998, but had a bad race due to back problems (never used aero bars after
Richter Pass). Arizona I had a great race for my fitness level.
Its probably all the training done to get to the weight as much as it is the weight itself.
Barry,
My top finish is 58th last year at Wisconsin. I am about 5-8 and 165 lbs. Did the race in 10.25 but the swim took me 1.20.
I’d wager that top 100 men probably average in the 160lb range with an average variance of 10lbs (so typically 150-170lbs). There are plenty of outliers of course.
At 190lbs I’m normally FOP in whatever tri bike leg but 160lb guys I easily outsplit can/will clobber me on hills…
interesting question.
what i find puzzling and sort of counter-intuitive is that as i have (unscientifically) observed the very top AG racers at competitive olympic distance tri’s vs. their AG counterparts at IM distance tri’s, it appears that the fast olympic dist. racers are lighter than their IM counterparts.
yes.
You should have asked for leg length measurements, not weight.
You should have asked for leg length measurements, not weight.
Because we all know that triathletes all have a perfectly horizontal aero position…