For IM, I’d say a good time is 12 hours, a fast time is 11, and a really fast time is under 10 (we’re not talking about professionals here).
For olympic, I’d say 2:30, 2:20, and 2:10, and for a marathon, I’d say 3:30, 3:10, and under 3.
What do you think?
-Colin
IM, a fast time is 10-10.30
Std course, a fast time is sub 2.15
Marathon, a fast time is sub 2.50
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Ooooh, by your definition I’m a really fast olympic distance triathlete! SWEEEEET!!! Haha, seriously, sub 2 hours is fast for olympic distance and 2:45 for marathon. Maybe someday I’ll be able to do that:(
Yeah I’d have to go with the last poster, depending on the course a fast male triathlete is sub 2:00-2:05
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Thanks, that was a big boost to my ego 
jaretj
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Sub 2 hours for olympic, and sub 2:45 for a marathon?! Damn, fast is faster than I though!!
-Colin
Why the need to categorize? Why do you need to label?
I just find the differences in people’s opinions on speed interesting. I think a 6 minute mile is screamingly fast, but I know many would think that a mere trot.
-C
It really depends on the course. Only 5 people came in sub 2 hrs at lavaman, and they were all elite. Do you have to be elite to be considered fast?
The faster you get, the faster “fast” is.
I’m talking about fast for a regular person. That’s why I said 2:10 was a very fast oly time.
-Colin
I think the course has a lot to do with times. For a race with over 500 participants, I like to say the top 20% is good, top 10% is very good and top 5% is fast.
Dave in VA
Won’t that depend on the course? Which is more impressive 10 hours at Lanzarote or 9:30 at Ironman Florida?
I agree, I was replying to jave-mtr’s response that sub 2 is fast for an oly.
For me anyone who is in front of me is perceived as fast – which basically means most of the other “athletes”. When I do short distance I am telling myself that I am a long distance type, and when I do the long stuff – I tell myself that I did not train enough as I have other commitments – the other guys have more time (which of course is true for some and not for others).
In general and if you force me to put numbers I will say – 2.15 hours for Olympic, 5 hours for Half and 11 hours for Ironman.
For any tri distance:
not drowning during the swim
not crashing on the bike
not twisting my ankle during the run
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Define “Regular Person”. Fast is like old. Either 10 min faster than you or 10 years older than you. It changes with speed/lack of and years accumulated. That is my story and I am sticking too it. G
How 'bout we restrict it to non-professional, non-elite for purposes of this categorization? Like somebody said earlier, “regular folks”.
As far as what constitutes fast, I’d say that that’s an individual thing. I’ve went under 10 hours at an IM and I’ve went under 9:30. However, the most excruciating, pain-filled jaunt (and most singularly satisfying) IM distance I did took my about 12:10 or so.
All I know is that my respect and admiration for the racers out there who suffer through 15 or more hours at an IM is far higher than for the 8 to 10 hour guys. After all, they’re done in a relatively quick amount of time. Some of those folks who those 16 or even 17 hour or more torture sessions go through much, much more, generally, to get that finisher’s t-shirt and the right to say that they’re an “Ironman triathlete”.
Tony
I was an elite tri-person, now spend most of my day in a lab. I think that ccf was right on. The times he listed are very good markers for the impressiveness of such feats. For a genetic outlier a 3 hour marathon might be easy, but for the mean it is amazing. The mean is the group upon which we should base should exclamations.
yep…not to mention that for the mass whether you say I run 2h10’ or 2h55’, it’s the same thing…they are clueless most of the time of what it represents.