In a huge event, how do you know where you stand

Triathlon Forum
1

In a huge event, how do you know where you stand in relation to your age group? I was reading the complaints that some people have about the time trial start for IM Kentucky, and some are complaining that they won’t know how they are doing in relation to their age group. I’m wondering how in the world you would know where your age group is in a mass start with 1000+ competitors. I would think that after the swim you would lose track of where everyone is. If you think you are in the lead, how do you know there aren’t people up the road ahead of you? When I do an event like this, I just treat it like a time trial and race the course, except for the last few miles where I start to look around at people I can catch or might be catching me. Please inform me…

2

I suppose for the upper upper upper FOP it would be helpful to know. But yeah, I can’t see it mattering too much for the BOP/MOP.

3

After X years you get a pretty good idea where you stand in various race distances and different race profiles. That’s just for youself though…you just make general assumptions based on a generic average feild. For IMLOU you could look at the IMMOO finishers and get a reasonable idea about where you would fit in. Certainly lots of margin for error in every direction.

4

Just go hard until it starts to hurt, then go harder!! If you can’t give 110% on race day then there’s no need to worry about your age group. If you’ve put in the time, you know your going to come out a winner however and wherever you finish.

5

If there’s an out & back section on the bike or run, you can get a better sense. I think it only really matters to the top/front people, and they’ll have a lot better idea of where they stand. Also, for the top racers people will often shout out to them where they stand.

6

I normally have the following in place during my recent races

  • Someone standing at the bike start telling me the overall race position. Then I count up and down during the bike section
  • Check the results sheets for the same or similar races to find out on average where that puts you in the AG. For example in Nice I figured that for the top 200 places there would be 20 in my AG, thus divide by 10 from the overall. It’s accurate enough for me
  • Normally the same person is waiting for me after T2. If the AG race numbers are grouped together then I can get an accurate AG place, if not I get just an update on overall position.
  • Use the course out and back sections as well to update/validate/correct your position.
7

I guess the best thing to do is develop a sense of what the competition at that event has been like in the past by doing a survey of previous results. That’s obviously not possible for IMLOU since this year is a first.

8

I believe many people here are competitors at heart even if the podium isn’t a realistic goal. They search out micro-contests within the larger contest as a natural part of the day’s events. Probably more prevalent in shorter events.

I’m certainly like this. I have finishing time goals, but I can be motivated by the knowledge that someone is right on my heels or within reach ahead of me. That knowledge makes the event more enjoyable for me.

So lets be creative - how could you know or estimate your place in your AG at various points along the course? No constraints except limited to technology already in widespread use.

  • Timing Chips - with real time data you could have a display after a timing mat giving you your place and time back from AG lead and 1 or 2 places in front of you.
  • Bikes racked by AG - gives you a quick assessment of where you are generally
  • Timing Chip data in a real time database - with a mobile web accessable query function every person on the course with a smartphone becomes a potential source of position data.
  • AG color coded race numbers - at least within sight you know whether someone is in your AG.

Others?

9

The fact is, even with 2 waves, you have no idea. Only with a mass start do you have an idea how you’re doing overall (and that’s my main yardstick when I’m racing). Then I take odds on how many of the people in front of me are in my AG. Unless the waves are AG separated, and have a LOT of time between (most races do, what, 5 minutes?), you’ll never know.

10

I don’t know what kind of drug your on, but I want some. Tim

11

I don’t know what kind of drug your on, but I want some. Tim
My drug is called adrenaline… I overdose everytime I hear that cannon go off…

12

these are awesome ideas, why aren’t they being done already?

13

I recently did a sprint tri with a TT start in waves of 4. I pretty much knew who my competition was (it was both 50+ for the overall in addition to AG) and we also had our ages on our calves. My wave of 4 had two of my competitors so I knew where I was vis-a-vis them (uh, behind). I passed another 50+ competitor with about a mile left on the run so I assumed I had him beat. Turns out he started about a minute after me on the swim (surreptitiously blowing by me on the swim - sneaky devil) and I only ended up edging him by 4 seconds.

Even in an IM, if you run down someone with your age group on his calf you will probably have no idea what the time differential is if it was a TT start.