The age limit for ironman is 18 years old. do you think this is to young to compete in an ironman. I believe that it is about the athlete and what they can handle but a coach from lifesport says any kid under 18 shouldnt even be doing olympic distance and i think thats crazy. Last year in kona a german guy was telling me how faris al sultan lied about his age and did an ironman when he was 16. Look how he turned out. so what does everybody think about this. personally i want to do an ironman really bad but i realize its time to build speed. I am 17 and I want the ironman tatoo on my calf. I know some of you are thinking HTFU. How old were you when you did your first ironman?
What’s the rush?
IM is just a long day for swimming, cycling and running.
if you really want to do one, you can do one any time you want.
It depends on your body. Some kids are done growing at 14, others are into their early 20’s. You need to know your body, if you are done growing, and what kind of background you have. For the average person it is probably not a good idea to be doing that kind of training in the teens…
Tattoos are for posers. Get a dog instead and name him Transition.
“Here Tranny, Tranny, here Tranny…”
I was in my mid 20’s when I did my first Ironman in 1986. Long time ago.
Ironman is a great and noble aspiration. It’s also a tough distance.
Not being a physiologist/doctor or scientist I can’t comment with authority on the possible (if any) physiological ramifications of doing an Ironman when you are a teen age fellow. It would seem to me a younger lad may be better suited for the event.
That being said, I was about 2 hours faster over 12 years after my first Ironman on a tougher course. This may be one of those cases where old age and cunning trump youth and enthusiasm.
Whatever the case, there is no rush and the bar is always being raised. There was a day when the thought of running marathon was considered rather “extreme”. That mindset has shifted to Ironman distance triathlons becoming almost the new “fun run” where people are participating in a more casual, recreational way. Good for the sport.
It would seem that if you did get an early start you’d have longer to learn the finer points of endurance distance triathlon. When you reached your mid 20’s and 30’s, it seems like you’d have a substantial endurance base and a knowledge of the tactics required to do well at the distance so you’d be really good by then.
One thing for sure, I applaud your motives when it seems a lot of fellows and gals your age aspire to little more than video games and more pedestrian pursuits. Good for you!
Hold your horses! wait until you have some serious speed developed and much more race experience under your belt before jumping into long course. what is the hurry? To answer your question; no one should (in my opinion) do an Ironman before 18 and if it were up to me the rule would be no one before age 22 (arbitrary # thrown out there) do develop a bit more maturity and the durability required to complete the event without injury. just my .02 so take it or leave it.
ERIK
PS- I was 25 for my first IM… still think I got into it too early.
Just curious, but have you ever run an open marathon? I know there are people whose first marathon was during an Ironman, but that just doesn’t strike me as a smart thing to do.
Hey, if you can sign up for the military and spend your days risking your life running through a war zone…then I think it’s cool if you want to do a sporting event of any length. 18 is legally an adult… Maybe it’s not the ideal age, but you know what, it’s probably not the ideal age to have a stock of weapons at your disposal either. Oh, and while we’re at it, when you come home from war at 19, you should get to have a legal beer, too…
There is no rush i just think it is really cool. i go to kona every year to watch the ironman and it amazes me every time and i want to be like them. my goal is to win an ironman one day but thats besides the point. i havent done a marathon but i did a 20 miler a few seconds over 2 hours 6 minutes fwiw
There is no rush i just think it is really cool. i go to kona every year to watch the ironman and it amazes me every time and i want to be like them. my goal is to win an ironman one day but thats besides the point. i havent done a marathon but i did a 20 miler a few seconds over 2 hours 6 minutes fwiw
If your goal is to win an ironman some day then stick to shorter races while you are young to hone your top end speed and then move to ironman when you get older. Look at Macca, Craig Alexander, Michellie Jones, Samantha McGlone, etc as an example.
if you are a kid aspiring to be ironman champ some day, you probably want to avoid putting that kind of mileage on your body until you can make the most of it. im sure one ironman wouldn’t ruin anything but if you make a habit of doing one every year from 16 to 20 you will be worn out before you reach your peak, no good.
if you have no such aspirations, i’m fairly certain there is no reason to believe even a 12 year old would be in any danger doing one.
Perhaps I am mistaken but if anyone can point to a single medical issue a 12 year old would be at more risk than an adult in an ironman? I know a lot of people think you stunt your growth by doing anything athletic at a young age, but that simply isn’t true.
Currently I am 17 and have been doing triathlons for 2 years. Olympic distance I’ve already dealt with but I’m looking forward to a HIM in June. Strong points are swimming and running.
PS: Lance Armstrong was not the only one of his young age to be doing extremely well at triathlons.
If you can’t drink beer after the race, why do Triathlons at all!?
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This is a question I’ve often pondered, and one to which I am still unsure of the answer. I’m 20 years old, and last year at 19, did my first IM (Switzerland) in 10:49:XX. Next month I’ll do UK 70.3, followed by IM Austria in July (see sig line)! This is my third year in the sport, so I’m still relatively inexperienced.
Like you, I have aspirations of competing at the highest level (long distance) - and often wonder if training for IM this young is the wisest thing to do for one’s long term development. As mentioned, the majority of top IM distance pro’s come from a short course background, which is why most say build speed first, add endurance later. But which is safer? Which is better? Is a training schedule full of speed work and LT intervals easier for a young body to handle than longer endurance sessions? Which increases the chance of injuries? So many questions…
I’m already thinking about next season, wondering whether to plan another IM, or take a break and race short course, with maybe a HIM or two.
So, (to the OP) seing as we have the same ambition, lets find out what to do. For us young guys hoping to one day reach the top, what should be the focus of our training and racing? Please chime in with your advice, expertise and experience. It would be great to hear from some of the coaches and pro’s on board, and of course the regular ST faithful.
Thanks, Nick.
Having desires to do IM races is fantastic! Thinking about when you should start going long is even better. If I had it to do all over again, I know exactly what I would do. I would spend the time now while my body is at it’s prime and build my engine. I would work on becoming as fast and efficient as possible.
Once you have the engine built, it is much easier to start adding distance later. Why do you think that former competitive swimmers do so well? They have huge engines!
I wish you luck in your training and hope to see you on the podium in the future.
you might read the sportsscientists articles on excersize ang aging, especially part 2
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009/02/exercise-and-aging-part-1.html
they note that in marathons, people only have a few years where they can be at their personal peak. For some its in the 20s, other the 50s, but either way after about 8 years you are done.
Well, can’t speak to a full IM but I did my first half at 19 after learning to swim in my first year of tri. I survived to tell the tale.
The age limit for ironman is 18 years old. do you think this is to young to compete in an ironman. I believe that it is about the athlete and what they can handle but a coach from lifesport says any kid under 18 shouldnt even be doing olympic distance and i think thats crazy. Last year in kona a german guy was telling me how faris al sultan lied about his age and did an ironman when he was 16. Look how he turned out. so what does everybody think about this. personally i want to do an ironman really bad but i realize its time to build speed. I am 17 and I want the ironman tatoo on my calf. I know some of you are thinking HTFU. How old were you when you did your first ironman?
How old was I? - 27.
Are you too young? - Yes
Is the advice from Lifesport correct? - Yes
Is the example of Faris a Sultan right? - No
Look if you want to turn your back on the advice from some of the best coaches in the business, by all means go ahead. The wisdom that they imparted on you should also be the advice from any other coach or person in the sport who knows what they are talking about.
One of the downsides to the popularity of the IM is that too many people take on the distance too soon - both in terms of years of training and also at too young an age.
Im so sick of people saying “oh, theres no rush”. It depends on what your motives are. If you just want to complete an IM, by all means do it whenever. If you want to be really competitive, by all means, build up speed/experience at the shorter distances. But don’t put your aspirations on hold for 5-10 years because people say you aren’t “ready”
I’m with you. I ran a 3:40 marathon at age 9 and it didn’t hurt me.
If you want to do an IM, do it. It’s no big deal, just slow and steady all day, don’t see how an 18yo body can’t cope with that just fine. Just don’t do it because you want the M-dot tattoo. That motivation alone won’t get you through the training and the big day, plus you’ll regret it years later when you understand you’ve branded a corporate monopoly on your body. And the girls won’t dig it like you think they will.
And, because a post from me wouldn’t be complete without a plug for SavageMan, if you really want something to brag about do SavageMan Half and try to earn yourself a brick in the Westernport Wall. It’ll be there forever just like your tattoo but you don’t have to wear it, you can even get your own for your mantle (or dorm room) if you desire, and it’s every bit the challenge of an IM.