I am sorry if this was a thread earlier, but I am SHOCKED. I was looking at the registrant list for 2010, and I saw that there are 3,094 registered in 2010. This will be my first IM, and I was nervous about the swim, but damn my nerves just went through the roof. That seems like a crazy amount of people to be swimming at once. I have biked the course a handful of times and I know for sure there are areas that were already congested in past years, and will now be ridiculous. I can not imagine this is a safe number. Sorry just needed to vent a little.
It’s not safe, the drafting will be ridiculous BUT, think about how much money the race will earn.
That should calm your nerves.
Sart right over to the right. This gives you the option of swimming “wide” and keeping away from the crush. Really not that bad.
It’s funny that in the late 80’s and early 90’s, races started being capped between the 1000 to 1400 or so range. That was what they deemed the safe and max the courses could hold back then. Since then I have seen a progression of between 50 and 100 mor per year, so that now you have ironmans with no wave starts at the 3000+ level. Same courses, except in the new loop style ones, no wave starts, no more roads, but somehow there are new ceilings every year. I guess if 50 is the new 30, then 3000 can be the new 1000. (-;
It will help the bottom line next year when WTC starts to shop for buyers for their business. If you pencil it out, 3000 per ironman + about a 100 or so 70.3’s will add a lot to that bottom line. Not sure what it does for actual athletes that have to race these races, but it cannot be good for the sport in general…But it will get sold and hopefully it will be to someone that has more of an eye to the actual race expirence.
FWIW - there are about 10% no shows, so knock about 300 off that number. Still, it’s a big number. Swim tough. And ride heads up. The good news is that if you pace your-self well, you’ll do well. IMLP is the home of the spectacular IM Blow-Up - it typically happens on the run - after most ride like ridiculous heros on the bike. If you can run that second half of the run strong, you will pass hundreds of people - seriously!
I’ve done LP twice – definitely a course where you want to run strong on the second loop.
I guess it’s not going to make you feel better when I tell you that I got kicked so hard in the head coming around a buoy that I went under – saw stars – and my jaw ached all day.
FWIW - there are about 10% no shows, so knock about 300 off that number. Still, it’s a big number. Swim tough. And ride heads up. The good news is that if you pace your-self well, you’ll do well. IMLP is the home of the spectacular IM Blow-Up - it typically happens on the run - after most ride like ridiculous heros on the bike.
Been there…done that…twice. 
That is a crazy number. I live in Boston and will be driving up to Montreal this year for the Esprit Irondistance race. A couple of hundred participants! Also, historic Plymouth, MA will be holding a full iron next year. Both are half-price and 1/10th the number of participants.
That is a crazy number. I live in Boston and will be driving up to Montreal this year for the Esprit Irondistance race. A couple of hundred participants! Also, historic Plymouth, MA will be holding a full iron next year. Both are half-price and 1/10th the number of participants.
I’ll be in Montreal for the Esprit as well.This year they have capped the Iron dist at 100.We just have to wait for the half iron and oly guys to get on the course before we can get sucked along by guys flying by at 25mph+.It was pretty funny the last time I did it.
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Every time one of the prime NA IMs come around everyone gripes about the entry size.
Then on start day 2200-2400 start and it’s the same just about every year.
Don’t worry about it.
Also, historic Plymouth, MA will be holding a full iron next year.
What race is this?
As has been said tons of those people will not be in the water with you. An IM swim, if done right, can be the mellowest of the year. Once you sort out the first couple hundred yards no one slower can catch you and you will not catch anyone faster.
Every time one of the prime NA IMs come around everyone gripes about the entry size.
Then on start day 2200-2400 start and it’s the same just about every year.
Don’t worry about it.
Ummmm, no.
There were not even close to 3,000 registrants last year. They have increased the number substantially from 2009 to 2010.
I agree with the 10% DNS start rate, but that will put the number at 2,700 or so. Last year 2,258 started the race. So yes, there is a definite change in the entrant size numbers for LP in 2010.
The reason for anxiety is the highly congested 2 loop swim in the small Mirror lake. Makes it difficult for wave starts or TT start.
Going to be a mess imho.
I second standing way over to the right near the trees. Pick a line and angle in. I watched a friend do this last year and about 1/4 mile in he squeezed right into a pack that was his speed and he was in the whirlpool. No problem after that.
I second standing way over to the right near the trees. Pick a line and angle in. I watched a friend do this last year and about 1/4 mile in he squeezed right into a pack that was his speed and he was in the whirlpool. No problem after that.
I did the same thing. Start to the right and you will have clear water almost right away. Or, at least nothing worse than any other triathlon. Ease towards the line about halfway down. I was so nervous about the IMLP swim, but as long as you’re not in the middle of the scrum there is nothing to worry about. Of course, I was just there to finish and ended up with a 1:20’ish swim, so YMMV.
I second standing way over to the right near the trees. Pick a line and angle in. I watched a friend do this last year and about 1/4 mile in he squeezed right into a pack that was his speed and he was in the whirlpool. No problem after that.
I did the opposite and was also perfect. I went to the inside of the buoys all the way down and all the way back. Hardly anyone around me at all.
It used to be that they would aim for about 1800 on race day and let in around 2200-2300 people. Out of all the IM I have done, that was the only swim I thought I might drown because it gets pretty packed together.
I can see that much with IM Louisville because it is a TT in a huge river start but a 2700 mass start in tiny Mirror Lake is asking for trouble.
I second standing way over to the right near the trees. Pick a line and angle in. I watched a friend do this last year and about 1/4 mile in he squeezed right into a pack that was his speed and he was in the whirlpool. No problem after that.
I did the opposite and was also perfect. I went to the inside of the buoys all the way down and all the way back. Hardly anyone around me at all.
You guys are all pussies. Go to the middle. Absolute centre. And then ride feet. By 500m you will find a pair that suits you and you will be home free. Sure you might get kicked, but consider that a wake up call 
It’s not safe, the drafting will be ridiculous BUT, think about how much money the race will earn.
That should calm your nerves.
Disagree with the drafting… LP is a race where there is far less drafting than other races. The bike course rips the field apart and keeps things honest for the most part…and now with the potential for no out and back it will be even more honest.
Replying to Placidpirate and Monty.
I think you need to swim around 60 flat or lower or 63 and a fast transition to really get a clean line and out of the drafting mess. But yes, IMLP is pretty clean and can be ridden clean.
Monty I did IMLP 10 out of the first 11 years of its existence and lived from a 1000 person race to a 2500 person race…the swim got more and more insane, and the congestion early in the bike got a bit thicker for the guys just a bit behind me. With my “not great swim but very fast transition” I can beat the crazy stuff on the bike, but not in the swim. I’d really like to see a wave start…even 4 waves of 500-600 spaced 5 minutes apart would take care of a lot.
Let’s see what IM France is like with just over 1000 athletes racing.
Dev