I’ve been following this thread for a bit and figured I’d finally jump in. 
We’ve talked about the 12m vs 20m draft debate on ProTriNews probably more than a little but reading through this discussion and then listening to the podcast honestly left me more confused than anything. Not because people here don’t care or aren’t informed, but because of what’s missing. No matter where you get your information either Scott DeRue on GTN, the head official or what ever jimmys title is on the Slowtwitch podcast, various media outlets debating logistics and complications not one of them has meaningfully asked the people this rule actually affects: the professional athletes.
We’ve heard executive opinions. We’ve heard officiating perspectives. We’ve heard media speculation. But somehow the athletes the ones whose income, careers, and race outcomes are directly impacted are absent from the conversation….
A question I keep seeing is, “Well why don’t the athletes speak up?” The answer is pretty simple. Under the IRONMAN Professional Athlete Code of Conduct (Article 3), public discussion of drafting or blocking penalties — including comments to media or discussions at race venues — can result in disqualification, suspension, or loss of IRONMAN Pro Membership. So yes, athletes are quite literally discouraged from publicly voicing opinions on the very rules governing their livelihood.
Which makes it strange to repeatedly hear that “athletes don’t want this” or “they don’t understand what they’re asking for.” Some of the arguments on the podcast honestly made me laugh not out of disrespect, but because they don’t align with reality on the racecourse. The idea that a 12m race suddenly creates massive 1015-person packs that become impossible to pass just isn’t supported by actual race data. I’d challenge anyone to find a single IRONMAN or 70.3 race run at 12m where you see sustained packs larger than ~15 athletes. You won’t find it.
At the 70.3 World Championship, 22 athletes exited the water within roughly 30 seconds. By 35km into the bike, that had already broken into a front group of 10 and a second group of 9 at 12 meters. This is how races naturally self-select when enforcement is consistent. What’s frustrating is listening to non-athletes explain pack dynamics to people who actually race at this level, while those athletes aren’t even allowed to publicly respond without risking penalties.
One person who has actually done the due diligence is @marcag Alot of the top pro’s we’ve spoken to has told us the same thing: he was the first person to reach out and ask how these rules affect them, how races feel, and what they believe would improve fairness. That shouldn’t be rare but somehow it is. I do know @E_DUB reached out to Sam Long before this podcast, but even Sam was confused by Erics anwsers and talking about Sam on this podcast and coming from behind and making it harder.
For context, ProTriNews recently conducted a survey. There were 356 total responses from Professional athletes, 182 of which have already competed in a professional triathlon, where the draft distance was 20-meters. Of those 182 athletes, 91.8% said they prefer a 20-meter draft zone. These aren’t hypothetical opinions. Many of these athletes have raced under both distances. They know exactly what they’re supporting despite claims that they “don’t understand the consequences” or “why would pros want to elongate the amount of distance to pass.”
I was also present at the recent test. I wasn’t invited haha but I showed up and watched. I saw how it was handled, and how quickly opinions shifted once pressure and data entered the room. This week is going to be important. IRONMAN’s corporate team in Tampa is reviewing the test data, athletes are beginning to speak publicly despite the risk, and for the first time, people are going to see what athletes actually support not what others claim they support on their behalf.
Whether you agree with 12m or 20m is fine. Reasonable people can disagree. But it’s hard to take the conversation seriously when the group most affected is the least heard and sometimes actively silenced. If the media truly wants to serve the sport, the next step seems obvious: put athletes on the mic and let them speak for themselves. I think we will see some fireworks this week.
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