I’m about 99% sure I’m going to register for IM Louisville next year. Before I do that this morning, I had a few questions I wanted to ask those who might have been there yesterday.
What was the water temperature like and were wetsuits allowed?
How did they handle the time cutoffs? Were they all based on when the last person entered the water?
How bad was the current? It’s my understanding that most of the swim the current helps you, but the first part you are swimming against it. I’m a slow swimmer - it typically takes me about 45 min to do a HIM swim. When I hear about currents in the 1 - 1.5 mph range and I swim at 1.6 mph for a HIM, I get a bit concerned.
Speaking ONLY as someone who watched the race on IronmanLive, I can tell you this:
YES - most if not all wore wetsuits
Cutoffs were based on the last starter’s time in the water. “Midnight” was pushed back to 12:37am.
Rumors from the reporters were that the current was not bad at all nearer the edge of the water, maybe .7 to 1.0mph, and very strong in the center - 2mph+ The fastest swimmer did the swim in 45+/- minutes, and I believe I read EVERY swimmer made the cutoff? (Not positive on that one though)
The water temp was 86 degrees and wetsuits were not allowed. What some folks had on were those Blue Seventy “swim” suits.
Cutoff times were adjusted “according to announcers there” so apparently if you started earlier in the swim you had more time.
The swim times seemed to be fast, but not crazy fast.
There were at least 3 bikes left in T1 after the swim was over. I am not sure what happened to those folks.
H
Speaking ONLY as someone who watched the race on IronmanLive, I can tell you this:
YES - most if not all wore wetsuits
Cutoffs were based on the last starter’s time in the water. “Midnight” was pushed back to 12:37am.
Rumors from the reporters were that the current was not bad at all nearer the edge of the water, maybe .7 to 1.0mph, and very strong in the center - 2mph+ The fastest swimmer did the swim in 45+/- minutes, and I believe I read EVERY swimmer made the cutoff? (Not positive on that one though)
Do NOT plan on the swim being wetsuit legal - in fact, I doubt it.
for a slow swimmer, esp if they start at the original swim course, it would be tough. You get a little benefit downcurrent, but it doesn’t make up for the upcurrent loss (similar to biking hills).
As other have mentioned, VERY well run. I’d personally say the same as other big IM NA races I’ve done, perhaps slightly better. Best finishing line area by far.
Yeah the finish area looked great. One thing I noted, although not a complaint, but they did not have the normal Ironman finish line tape you get to smash through at the end.
Ya’ know, you are right! I REALLY liked the volunteers all throughout, esp the end. Reflecting back I can’t believe this was a first year event as far as volunteers go (or anything really). GREAT free post-race massage for 30 mins (by a girl with hands of steel and one entire arm tatooed - I knew I had the right masseuse when I saw her)
Like others said, just plan on it being a nonwetsuit swim. I am a slow slow swimmer, one of the last out of the water, but it still wasn’t that bad. There is a current but with the swim changes it was cut down quite significantly - at the practice swim they advised the first swimmers to swim to the far buoy and once we got into the current we were spit backwards! You don’t actually feel the current, it is just that it takes you a little longer to get to the buoy and then it takes slightly less time when going downstream. I think the reluctancy for people, myself intially included, to have a nonwetsuit swim might scare them away but it really wasn’t that big of a deal, in fact the swim was A LOT better than I expected. FWIW, my swim time is pretty close to yours and I didn’t have any problems.
the first 3/4 of a mile was between and island and the mainland. I found the current to be negligible. I really liked the TT start. They got everyone in pretty quick.
You didn’t get a finisher’s shirt. You got your shirt, hat, and bag when you registered. The hats and shirts are really nice, best design in a long time. Much better than the ugly stuff from last years NA Sports races.
Good to hear you like the hats Patrick! My friend (local roadie here in Cincy that used to design for Trek) designed them as he now works for Headsweats. Such a small world - I found out the owner (Alan) of Headsweats lives about 1/2 mile from me and my favorite stuff, InfinIT, is also made just about 1 mile away.
I was surprised there was no “Finisher” T-shirt, but I never wear my other “Finisher” IM shirts anyway so no big deal to me.
the first 3/4 of a mile was between and island and the mainland. I found the current to be negligible. I really liked the TT start. They got everyone in pretty quick.
I didn’t feel much current going out was suprised by how far the turn bouy was couldn’t see where it was and I believe some current once you got around the island… There seemed to be some sort of reversal right at the end of the island where the barges just a short space going downstream but not moving very well I stopped for moment and was drifting upstream(sounds wierd must have been some small eddy at the island tip… I angled out to open channel over where the support kayaks and boats were to find the good downstream flow… Seems most stayed close to the bouys I could tell the difference out there when I’d stop I was still flowing downstream at a good clip… Couldn’t have been more than a dozen folks out there so was very nice…
I was 17 minutes faster form the turn back to the tip of the island where we started the swim. I was only 7 minutes longer for the entire trip back than to the turn bouy That was sweeeeeet… Was cool going under the bridges looking up…
I’ve done 9 IM’s …6 different ones and Kona 3 X’s. THIS RANKED IN THE TOP !!
I loved every thing about the swim (I’m one of the few who would rather NOT swim in wet suit)
I loved the bike…except the idoit car in La Grange (who was later attacked by spectators)lol
I loved the run…
I loved the finish …
