I’ve wondered this for years. 13 to be exact. Why not shift multisport racing to cat racing instead of the age group tiering used now?
I propose the following cats:
Pro, Elite Ameteur / Open, Cat 1, Cat2, Citizen (those not members of the sanctioning commitee or those who really dont’ care)
Get rid of the other special categories now used like first timers, clyd/athenas (they will fall into one of the other cats).
Just think of the $$ USAT could race on cat licenses.
Excellent idea in my opinion. I would love to bring this forward to a governing body. I doubt the good old folks at Ironman Inc would like it though.
This has been discussed at length at USAT in the past, and has been shot down. Not sure on the particulars.
Mike
I agree. I have wondered about this for a while as well. Does it just make so much sense that no one would ever try it?
-Joey
www.theraceguide.com
Does anyone know? Dan?
I would say the purpose of a cycling cat is so that the pack is more alike in terms of speed. With a group of triathletes at about the same pace on the bike…the chances of drafting goes up. Thats just one reason though.Im sure there are more.
I would say the purpose of a cycling cat is so that the pack is more alike in terms of speed. With a group of triathletes at about the same pace on the bike…the chances of drafting goes up. Thats just one reason though.Im sure there are more.
That makes no sense, especially for an Ironman since everyone starts wherever they want. For smaller races, there could still be age group starts, however, the placing and racing would be in your CAT.
I completely agree. As a Clyde when I race I am able to measure myself against others of the same size (for the most part) and similar abilities.
Going to Categories would effectively achieve the same result. Too bad that so far it has been shot down, but I would like to see it emerge as the sport evolves.
For smaller races, there could still be age group starts, however, the placing and racing would be in your CAT.
By which event? I’d be a citizen swimmer, higher bike Cat, and Better than avg Running Cat. Overall, I’d be a 3.
I’d love to have CATs as well, but I can imagine this would be a nightmare to implement.
I think with bike racing most are serious. Triathlon is a lifestyle hobby sport for many. I think it may turn off those hobby triathletes who are in it for fun. I WOULD BET THESE TRIATHLETES MAY BE THE MAJORITY. Sorry for the caps but I am too lazy to retype. I was not yelling.
This is just an unqualified opinion.
Remember, it’s a triathlon or duathlon, not three individual events, so it woul be based on race finishes.
Peer pressure alone would limit the number of sandbaggers who purposely race in a lower cat to gain awards…Same as in US Cycling.
Here’s a little bit of my rationale: In most races, and I’m not talking the BIG races, I mean pick a normal regional race, you always have a pack of people at the top, let’s say top 20 or so in a <500 person race. They’re always at the top, and depending on who’s feeling better that day the finish order get’s shuffled around…Sooooo, you have a guy who on any given day can win the whole match, or finish somewhere in the top 10…If he doesn’t make the top 3 or whatever the top tier is for that race, they drop down to the age-group podium. Now, speaking from lot’s of experience, a lot of these top guys/gals get special treatment at the races (unless it is a USAT sanctioned race), they get to go in the first wave cause well, they’re elite and we need to get them out front so they can compete head to head more fairly. Believe me, I’ve heard that directly from race directors. That’s fine with me, but if they don’t measure up that day…Well so be it.
So, bottom line, let’s compete against people with similar abilities and aspirations. Age groups is not even coming close to leveling the playing field.
What about a handicapping system, like in golf? Every race is indexed by difficulty and finishing time and then each athlete’s finishing time is multiplied by the index factor to produce an indexed time. Then the times are input into a data base to produce a handicap rating for each athlete. It would only work for people who had 5-10 races in the system, so it would only apply to serious hobbiests and above. It also wouldn’t be a good measuring stick for Kona slots or awards because it would be too easy to sandbag. But it might make it more fun for MOPers and BOPers to compete against each other and the pro field.
And I completely agree with you. So, we have a really big citizen category. Some of those people would now get to the podium that otherwise would never be able to compete in their respective age-groups.
BTW, I agree with the hobby thing, but if you keep up with this board you’d think anything but that if this was your only exposure to the multi-sport world.
Great idea. There’s a timing company around here (Mid-Atlantic) that in addition to posting regular results, posts results in a handicapped system based on exactly what you have said. They use the winners time, your time, and your age and do some sort of calculation to determine the age-graded placement. It’s not used for anything, but I think it’s a pretty good start for an idea.
Cat racing doesn’t make any sense in the absence of group aerodynamic dynamics ;p.
Seriously, who cares which of the twenty 2:30-2:33 Oly peeps finishes first? Cats make sense in cycling…they don’t in tri.
I’m all for organizing waves by expected finish times but the AG competition model makes far more sense for this sport.
ot
Road racing is as much a team effort as it is an individual effort. Triathlons are Individual Time-Trials.
Plus, in road racing to move up in category you have to do 20 or more races in a year and accumulate points. Road Racers race every week, and ofter several times a week. Most Triathletes probably do 3 or less in a given year. So devising a point/category system for a sport where most athletes only race about 3x a year does not seem to make sense. There just would not be enough history to put people in the right categories.
It does not make sense to have Cat in Tri’s. Is what you are after an awards system where more people get to podium? I say that is bogus.
I, for one, would like to eliminate everything except age groups. No Pro, no elite, no clydes - just racing.
My two cents.
Add a “Cat Purple” and I think you are on to something.
Actually, I think the number of awards would be less, just spread differently. Which in the end, would probably damage the tri scene anyway. I guess the main reason for the ag categories in multisport and running races is exactly that, more awards, more happy racers, more entries and interest. So I guess, in looking at all sides, ag’s do work out.
However, I don’t really agree with your last scentence…if it’s just racing, no categories at all.
I’m sorry…There must be some meaning to “Cat Purple”, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what your talking about 
The smiley face indicates, I “really don’t know what you mean”?