http://ironman.com/...e/maps/2007/swim.pdf
http://ironman.com/...e-swim-course-design
Update:
1.Swim will start further upstream
2.Time Trial Start
3.Faster times expected
4. Still 2.4 Miles
I’m worried about the time trial start but it looks like this course finally threw us a bone!
seems like this would be about as great as anytime for them to break the tradition of mass starts and implement wave starts. I mean they already did have 2 waves at IMH, why not 4?
Interesting. Might this also be an “experiment” to see how a time-trial start would work in an IM? How long would it take for a slow swimmer to even get into the water if they’ve seeded themselves way back at swimmer #1527? 1527 x 5 seconds = 7635 / 60 = 127 minutes / 60 = 2:07 - that’s 9:07am before I get into the water!!
how are they going to account for the fact that the last swimmer probably won’t enter the water until almost 8am??? are they going to extend the midnight deadline until it’s 17 hours AFTER the last swimmer starts?
The TT start seems like a good idea until you think that 2000 athletes every 2 seconds is over an hour of waiting for the final swimmers…
what a cluster that is going to be
I wonder how that will affect those trying to qualify for Kona. There’s gonna be some bitching for sure…
Good question.
Does anyone have insight into why these changes were made?
There’s gonna be some bitching for sure…
Nothing new, it happens after every IM event.
Swim will start further upstream
Still 2.4 Miles
I assume the turn around will be further up stream too?
I did a big race this summer with a time trial start and I did start about an hour after the leaders. And I wasn’t in the back. That adds to the heat of the day for those in the back.
Tom,
It’s listed on the website as increases in the rainfall upstream increasing the current speed downstream as a higher volume of water flows.
Having to swim against the current would put a whole new definition into hugging the shoreline.
Does anyone have insight into why these changes were made?
**
The offical word is because of increased river flow from rain up north.
I’m kinda mixed about this. On one hand, I dreaded the mass swim start. On the other hand, it is an IM tradition and I almost hate to see it broken.
I’m curious how the TT swim start will affect potential drafting on the bike course. My gut tells me it may help to reduce it…
I should have said there’s gonna be MORE bitching for sure… 
Thanks. Super fast swim splits. Maybe I should go there…
Will the people who start later still have to be done by midnight?
EXCELLENT move by WTC. I hope it is a trend that continues in other IM events and then trickles down to other triathlons.
Good luck to everyone competing in Louisville! It’s going to be a memorable IM for sure.
Wow. Maybe for a sprint, but for an IM? No way.
Yup - suits me just fine! I do wonder about the very slow swimmers and people planning on finishing in the 16-17 hours range though? They will definitely have to extend the midnight deadline!
Does anyone have insight into why these changes were made?
**
The offical word is because of increased river flow from rain up north.
I’m kinda mixed about this. On one hand, I dreaded the mass swim start. On the other hand, it is an IM tradition and I almost hate to see it broken.
Agreed, I was dreading the non-wetsuit mass start but I think I had just accepted it…plus it is a tradition and part of the bragging rights to say “look at that insanity, I was in there somewhere” Nevertheless, shit happens and I am not going to let it ruin my day, plus I might finally be able to break my swim PR.