Any wagers on whether they will keep the race in mid-November? For me, it seems too close to Kona for many pros, and too late in the season for many AGers - especially those of us up north. Thoughts?
Agree, it should be before Hawaii 3-5 weeks. The top Iron Distance pros won’t be able to compete or will bail out like we are seeing this year. Short course folks will dominate. Or guys like lessing and legh that aren’t tired from Hawaii. Early September would be perfect! Next year though I think that would conflict with ITU Worlds so there is probably no perfect solution.
I bet they keep it the same. I think they are trying to create a niche for athletes who want to specialize in HIM distance. If they keep it the same, people will gravitate towards the distance they are better at and then they can expand the 70.3 series and possibly even expand the traditional IM distance race series.
I think 5 weeks before Kona would be good. The studs could use it as a warm up for Kona, and others could focus on it exclusively, but all of ‘the best’ *could *show up with their A game.
They should definitely make it earlier in the year so everyone can do both championship races. Pros will be going for the double…
I agree that they are somewhat boxed in. They can’t put it too close to Kona, but if they go too far ahead of Kona, they undercut many of their own 70.3 events, like Timberman. If they could pull it off logistically, I would think the week after Kona would be good, and they would have to forget about trying to get pros who would do both events. The 70.3 event would have to stand on its own.
Disagree - earlier doesn’t work for the following reasons.
-
5 weeks before is too close to ITU Worlds and in 2008 will be too close to Olympics. Remember that this isn’t just Ironman studs doing this race. Samantha McGlone concentrates on the ITU season and could very well win tomorrow. Andy Potts, Terrenzo Bozzone, Andrew Johns, Shane Reed and other awesome ITU triathletes all are concentrating on both so I’m guessing WTC thought this was the best time to attract everybody.
-
Why is this too late? I live in Canada and busloads of people from up here were at Florida last weekend. There are also a large number who somehow train properly for and do Brasil in May (which I can’t imagine how) so I dispute that the true hardcore age groupers (which you still have to be to qualify for this thing) would have trouble getting their training in for a race at this time of the year.
-
The weather’s perfect now in Florida. Any closer to the summer and you’re risking at worst, hurricanes, and, at best, sauna like conditions.
-
I think after Kona is best. Even with a quick recovery, I think you’d find a lot of top IM people not wanting to empty the tank in an effort to win the 70.3 before racing in Kona. Read Simon Lessing’s thoughts on Ironman.com on the hell of what he considers a 4 hour sprint. Even the best pros would be afraid of hurting themselves so close to Kona and maybe not decide to show.
Unless there’s a cruise ship docking in Clearwater during the race next year, I don’t see it moving. (Funny that the cruise ship could move Kona but an earthquake can’t)
The ITU guys will dominate 70.3 World’s. I can’t see the Ironman guys really having a hope. They can’t swim as fast and they can’t run as fast and the ITU guys can bike just as fast. The only advantage that the ironman guys is that they can go close to double the distance of a half without slowing down much while ingesting 4000+ calories. You can do a half ironman on 1000 calories. Digestion is not a limiter…speed is…this favours ITU guys.
Dev
I thought the same thing but I see the 70.3 thing emerge as a different discipline as 140.6 or full Ironman distance. In other words, I don;t think we’ll see the same guys keying on both world’s- obviously- and I think that is what WTC was thinking when they created the 70.3 franchise.
To me, 70.3 is the perfect mix: An international series, a do-able distance and something I may actually be able to qualify for World’s in.
My chances of qulaifying for Kona again are going to be about nill until I’m 70…
I give good chances to Luke Bell and Natasha Badmann, however otherwise, I do think the short distance specialists are just too numerous to not have one of them win.
I concur too that I have more chances to qualify for 70.3 WC, but if it gets any popular, those chances go to even with Kona. There’s no way I can go sub 4:45…
Sam
I’m sure this will be evaluated post-race, but if I were to bet I would say it stays right where it is.
I want it close to Kona. I think it is better for the sport if the same people DON’T win Kona and Clearwater. Spread the wealth a little. Let more athletes rise up. Makes for better competition in the long run.
In the end though, I don’t see any of the top Kona finishers finishing high at Clearwater regardless of the timing.
Personally, I think the way to identify a top half-ironman contender is to find top ITU athletes that are not FOP swimmers in ITU. If they can still finish well w/o a top swim in ITU they will rock a half-ironman where the swim is half as long and the importance of catching the lead bike pack is less.
Depending if you want triathlon to be embraced by the general public, I think someone who constantly beats people would bring more recognition to the sport. Look at other sports, lance, tiger, etc.
but really im just disagreeing cause Im bored…
I heard them call your name during the rolldown at Steelhead so you could be there now.
I am so glad I missed it cuz training around here would have been pretty miserable.
jaretj