With the deep fields in Frankfurt and a lot of Kona slots on the line, it’s interesting to speculate on how the race might unfold and what to look for on race day. These projections are solely based on the previous results and “nominal times” by the athletes, of course race tactics (groups forming, someone taking a risk by going a bit. Kona Slots Frankfurt, can you block yourself from online gambling, tampa area poker tournaments, besteding casino. Permanent Wager: x30 Min deposit: £10. Cookie Settings-Percentage. Royal Ace Casino. Bridesmaids (1056.
I am a firm supporter of #50WomentoKona and I make no bones about the fact that I support equality for professional triathletes. Due to my outspoken stance on the issue I have been asked several times what my views are on the age group qualification process for Kona. First, let me stress that the professional race and the age group race are two very separate things. They start at different times, they have different rules and there are different rewards for the respective winners. That being said, I do see issues with the current Kona qualification process. Let me explain.
Per Ironman’s website slots for Ironman Kona are distributed as follows:
– Prior to race day, at least one slot shall be tentatively allocated to each Age Group category (both male and female). Please see the official Age Group category breakdown on the FAQ page.
– Final slot allocation will be determined on race day based on the number of official starters in each age group. If there are no starters in a particular Age Group, then that slot will be moved to the next calculated Age Group within the gender.
– Final Slot Allocation shall be representative of the actual number of Age Group starters in each age category in the race.
– Athletes MUST claim their slot in-person at the qualifying race during the IRONMAN World Championship Slot Allocation and Rolldown Ceremony. Please check the event schedule of events for time and location of the ceremony.
What this means is that each age group gets at least one Kona slot. In the case of an Ironman race with 50 Kona slots, a single age group winner represents 2% of the total slots available, regardless of the the actual percentage of athletes competing in that age group. What this does is cause over representation of age groups at the far ends of the bell curve and under representation of age groups at the center of the bell curve. Let’s use the numbers for Ironman Florida in 2014 as an example. In 2014 there were 2362 total finishers. Here’s how the numbers played out:
Age Group | Number of Finishers | % of Total Finishers | Number of Kona Slots | Percentage of Kona Slots |
M65-69 | 16 | .6% | 1 | 2% |
M70-74 | 3 | .12% | 1 | 2% |
M75-79 | 1 | .04% | 1 | 2% |
M80+ | 1 | .04% | 1 | 2% |
F60-64 | 11 | .4% | 1 | 2% |
F65-69 | 2 | .08% | 1 | 2% |
F30-34 | 97 | 4% | 2 | 4% |
F35-39 | 96 | 4% | 2 | 4% |
F40-44 | 140 | 6% | 2 | 4% |
Obviously some age groups receive a significantly higher percentage of slots than are “justified” by the participation numbers. If the purpose of the Kona age group qualification process is to provide proportional representation based on participation, its not working at the edges. As slots for individual races continue to be reduced (from 100 to 75 to 50 to 35) in order to accommodate slots for new WTC races, which seem to appear every day, the “problem” will grow.
Do I know of a solution? Not really. I suspect that WTC is working hard to perfect its All World Athlete ranking system to be able to use those rankings for Kona slot allocation, similar to the current KPR rankings for professional athletes. This makes sense from a business perspective as it would reward not only athletes who race well, but also athletes who race often. I have also heard rumblings that Kona qualification will become a two tiered system — first you would qualify for a regional championship (currently Texas, Melbourne, Frankfurt, Brasil and South Africa) and then you would race the regional championship to qualify for Kona. Again, this serves the business goal of getting athletes to race more often. Finally I have heard that WTC will limit Kona slots to certain races, much like it has limited pro prize purses to certain races. I dont know that WTC cares about disproportionate allocation of slots, but I do know they care about maximizing profits and if they want to continue to aggressively expand the number of 140.6 races, they’re going to need to address the issue of Kona slots.
Hearing the words “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN” shouted out by the event compere as you cross the finish line for the first time is no doubt one of the proudest moments of any triathlete’s life. You sacrificed six months of your life to cross that line – you’ve forgotten what the inside of a pub looks like and you’ve had to schedule one hour catch ups with friends, family and loved ones to fit them into your training schedule. But suddenly it all makes sense. All that hard work and sacrifice is worth it because you did it, you are an ironman, and regardless of how your race went, you feel amazing! And it’s that feeling that almost certainly drags people back to IRONMAN events year after year.
So as winter approaches and we turn our minds to goals for 2017, here’s a quick rundown the European Ironman schedule for 2017 which runs from April to October. Go on…you know you’re tempted, we certainly are.
YJ athelete Lucy Gossage racing to victory at IRONMAN UK
IRONMAN Lanzarote (Spain) – 20 May 2017
The oldest and most iconic route on the European circuit and seen as one of the hardest European Ironman courses out there. The atmosphere at this race is electric and as it’s so popular, it is likely to sell out soon.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 25° C
Average water temperature: 18-20° C
IRONMAN Austria (Klagenfurt) – 2 July 2017 – *SOLD OUT*
Considered one of the most beautiful races in the world, this race specialises in crowd support so expect a raucous finish line.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 24° C
Average water temperature: 22° C
YJ’s MD Ryan - finishing in Austria
IRONMAN Frankfurt, Germany – 9 July 2017 – *SOLD OUT*
Frankfurt hosts the Ironman European Championships and by nature is a popular event luring the very best triathletes across Europe. You can expect more spectators on the bike course than any other events and a historic finish line.
Kona slots available: 75
Average peak temperature: 24° C
Average water temperature: 20-22° C
IRONMAN UK (Bolton) – 16 July 2017
Expect changeable British weather and a tough course with a deceptively hard run. That said, this race sells out each year and you’ll definitely feel like you’ve earned your medal by the finish.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 20° C
Average water temperature: 16-19° C
IRONMAN Switzerland (Zurich) – 20 July 2017
The real highlight at Zurich is the cycle. With an excellent TT stretch at the start, each loop has two iconic climbs (known as the beast and heartbreak hill!) where crowds will cheer you on with cow bells. They changed the run course in 2016 to make it more scenic and importantly, faster (shame I did it in 2014!).
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 24° C
Average water temperature: 22-24° C
YJ’s Emily reaching the finish of IRONMAN Zurich full of emotion
IRONMAN Maastrict-Linburg (Netherlands) – 6 August 2017
New on the scene in 2015, this race offers a river swim with the first half upstream and second downstream. The bike appears bumpier than you might expect in the Netherlands but the crowds appear to win over the hearts of all competitors.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 25° C
Average water temperature: 18° C
IRONMAN Hamburg (Germany) – 7 August 2017
Brand new for 2017. Hamburg has hosted many triathlons in the past so this race should be a good one. Plus you get to swim through two lakes.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 24° C
Average water temperature: 18-20° C
IRONMAN KALMAR (Sweden) – 19 August
Launched in 2012 this event has fast become a favourite on the calendar. In a beautiful part of the world, it’s a great race to choose and tag on a holiday afterwards. A chilly swim in the Baltic Sea and you get to ride over a 6km long bridge.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 18.8° C
Average water temperature: 19-23° C
IRONMAN Copenhagen (Denmark) – 20 August 2017
Copenhagen is easily one of Europe’s most dynamic cities and the run loops are more like a sightseeing tour. This event sells out quickly as it’s flat and fast.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 21° C
Average water temperature: 20-24° C
IRONMAN Vichy (France) – 27 August 2017
Fast, flat and beautiful French countryside, what more could you want? This event wants to become the biggest triathlon festival in Europe in the next three years, what’s not to like?
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 23° C
Average water temperature: 21° C
IRONMAN Wales (Tenby) – 10 September 2017
For the hardcore, this race is well-renowned for having one of the toughest, if not the toughest course on the entire IRONMAN circuit. This race is guaranteed to be tough and therefore those who have completed will often be overheard saying ‘You’re not a real Ironman until you’ve completed IRONMAN Wales!’
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 16° C
Average water temperature: 16° C
IRONMAN Emilia Romagna (Italy) – 23 September
A brand new race that looks fantastic. The flat (ish) bike course will take you past the salt pans, home to thousands of flamingos (it’s like safari racing!) and then you’ll be lucky enough to run through Vervia and Milano’s Maritime’s most prominent landmarks. Entries open soon.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 26° C
Average water temperature: 24° C
IRONMAN Barcelona (Spain) – 1 October 2017
You’re guaranteed a great after race party in Barcelona! This race offers a relatively flat and fast end to the season for many in a beautiful part of the world.
Kona slots available: 40
Average peak temperature: 26° C
Average water temperature: 24° C
IRONMAN Mallorca (Spain) – TBC
IRONMAN France (Nice) – TBC
IRONMAN Weymouth (UK) – This event will not be running in 2017. A 70.3 will however.
It looks like most of these European Ironman races still have space (3 November 2016), but I’m sure that won’t be for long so now’s the time to make your commitment. Although the general entry places for Austria and Frankfurt have sold out, you can still get race places through Nirvana Europe.
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