Top 3 AG men all went sub 8. Top 5 all ran 2:48 or better with two guys running 2:41. Only one guy in top 10 ran SLOWER than 2:57!
Course short, fast, or is AG racing really getting that fast? Just last year running sub 3 for AG was pretty rare.
Scott
I had looked at the pro women’s times and there seemed to be too many under 3 there too.
Top 5 in 45-49 all went under 9 hours. Winner went 8:29. I don’t understand honestly, lol.
50-54 winner went 8:37. 2nd place 50-54 was slow though finishing in only 9:01.
** I don’t understand honestly,//**
Easy, likely short course(s), current assisted, tailwind over 50%, massive drafting, great weather, etc. The whole world does not get faster on one day of the year, so something was off, check the splits, gamins, and peoples race accounts and you will find your answer…
Bike course advertised as 178km.
If sufficiently interested, you need to go Strava Hunting. And for the overall, just remember the transition is over 500m long so it’s not as if there’s any time saving there.
Running conditions were close to optimal: dry, sub 20 and in the city, shelter from the 12mph westerly.
Remember also, Chevrot ran 2:31 last year and Philipp ran 2:45 in 2022 so fast times are ‘normal for Hamburg’.
Thorsten has it as one of the fastest runs: https://www.trirating.com/course-ratings/
Only IM Brazil and Challenge Roth faster (though I think the Roth rating is slightly affected by the consistently high strength of field (cf most other venues) and that it attracts fast runners (eg Haug, Lange).
Just have checked 3rd place M25-29 and Strava says 176,75 km on bike and 41,77 km run. Waiting till 3rd M30-M34 will upload activities to compare.
I mean… 8:20 isn’t enough for a Kona slot in M35-39 😱😯
I checked a few people on Strava. Both run and bike seemed slightly short but that doesn’t explain it enough. 2.5km on the bike and half a km on the run gives you maybe 7 minutes.
I’m sure there was a competitive field because of the fast race and the many Kona slots. Also, there seems to be a certain type of age groupers targeting non-pro races where they can compete to win overall.
Still, those are really fast times!
7.50 for an AGer? crazy!!. I would like to say that Jackie Hering nailed it. A 2.52 marathon is great after so many years not racing full distance.
I mean… 8:20 isn’t enough for a Kona slot in M35-39 😱😯
I checked a few people on Strava. Both run and bike seemed slightly short but that doesn’t explain it enough. 2.5km on the bike and half a km on the run gives you maybe 7 minutes.
I’m sure there was a competitive field because of the fast race and the many Kona slots. Also, there seems to be a certain type of age groupers targeting non-pro races where they can compete to win overall.
Still, those are really fast times!
iam too lazy to check but i think 3rd overall age grouper today was 3 rd overall agegrouper at ironman world champs not sure 2023 or 2022
and the guy who won was a rowing world champ .
Looks like a very stacked field, shortish course, flat and perfect weather.
Still those run times across the board even for a .5-.6 mile short course are nuts.
Will we see the AG course record go down in Kona this year?
Scott
Respect to everyone who turned in fast times. With that said, times in triathlon don’t always matter. Fast/flat bike/run courses. Bike course was slightly short with the new layout. Didn’t get above 18c/65f. ~Best conditions you could get for full distance racing. Dew point in the 50s for an IM marathon is a dream. Never cold enough for the muscles to get tight. Not really warm enough that you need to make a pace adjustment. Just pleasant all day.
Doping on wide scale in additional to all of the above. Anybody pissed after that?
Even with a short course and perfect conditions, 7:50 is crazy fast. What would that translate to on a harder course? 8:10? 8:20? Wouldn’t that be fast enough to collect a small paycheck if you raced in the pro field? Why would someone not turn pro if you can go sub 8?!
Spectator in Hamburg. Really impressive to see these age groupers run. I did not see the normal ironman shuffle. Everybody was running.maybe it was the alphafly 3 (by far the nr1 shoe)😀
And the bike was without large groups. Really large gaps between riders thanks to rolling start and referees.
A lot of wind and the roads were not that good.
I think they set a new standard for age groupers yesterday. 830 as the new normal for almost every age group.
Several friends raced and posted 176.75 km / 41.7 km on Strava. So short, and probably win 3-5 min for a FOP AG
Also, all of them posted close to 4000m on the swim…
Short course would definitely add 5ish minutes, but some posts above are putting emphasis on it like it makes a 30 minute difference.
It’s a fast course with great weather and the fastest field. European fields are generally significantly faster than US fields and this was was especially so. Doesn’t help that these guys prefer to be big fish in a small pond than compete with athletes at their level in the pro division.
The jump to “must be drugs, good weather, short course” etc. aren’t much help when none of these things are new.
Well said!
Would be interesting to hear if they improved anything on course or motos, after to horrific accident last year
Short course would definitely add 5ish minutes, but some posts above are putting emphasis on it like it makes a 30 minute difference.
It’s a fast course with great weather and the fastest field. European fields are generally significantly faster than US fields and this was was especially so. Doesn’t help that these guys prefer to be big fish in a small pond than compete with athletes at their level in the pro division.
The jump to “must be drugs, good weather, short course” etc. aren’t much help when none of these things are new.
I did the race and my garmin gives a 3934 meter swim, 177.05 km bike and a 42.04 km run.
Transition was long, t1 and t2 were 1.35 km combined.
Raced as well and Garmin shows almost exactly the same distances.
I did the race and my garmin gives a 3934 meter swim, 177.05 km bike and a 42.04 km run.
Transition was long, t1 and t2 were 1.35 km combined.
Doping on wide scale in additional to all of the above. Anybody pissed after that?
well unlike cam wurf who was a bloody good rower yesterdays winner was actually a senior world champ in rowing…
so we are talking about an absolute elite engine here. and for a big guy the temps were just perfect and i don t think he has done much in the kona heat.
but yes you are right niao hao the third guy has had a doping suspension before