Ironman Kona 2013 Results Analysis: Finish Times and Splits by Age Group, Comparisons 2009 to 2013, and more

RunTri's Ironman Kona Results Analysis and Photos

by Raymond Britt



Ironman Kona 2013, the 35th anniversary Ironman Triathlon World Championship, was remarkable in several notable measures:
  • Average Finish Time: 11:06 -- easily the fastest pace since 2009 (why so fast? see our Kona Legacy Lottery Theory)
  • Splits: swim 1:11; bike 5:35 (at 51%, consistent with our 50% rule); run 4:09; transitions 0:09
  • Finishers: a record 1,972 (2012 = 1883); 
  • DNF: a lower than average 4.2% -- 1.1% on the bike, 3.1% on the run
  • Bike vs Run Correlation: notable for a preponderance of faster runs after fast bike splits
  • Women's Course Record: Mirinda Carfrae's record marathon vs Top 10 Women Finishers
Here's the tale of Ironman Kona 2013 in 13 charts: overall, by age group, by split, by year, by participants, by bike/run correlation, by Geography and by Top 10 finishers by country and age group. 











What could be the reason for these impressive improvements? Weather conditions usually account for most differences. However, the gains were so impressive, we have a different theory:
  • Beginning in 2012, the Ironman Legacy Lottery reallocated slots 100 (which used to be distributed among all general lottery entrants) to athletes who have completed 12 or more Ironman Triathlons. 
  • Proportion of change in the field: 100 slots is about 5% of finishers
  • Triathletes with 12 or more Ironman finishes are certain to race more efficiently and faster than a novice. 
  • Impact of 100 Ironman Legacy Lottery Slots: seems to have added most athletes to: M40 +49, M50 +28, M45 +22






For more, see our complete Ironman Kona CoverageQualifying for KonaKona Qualifying Race Schedule 2013/2014, our analysis of Top 30 Toughest/Easiest Ironman Events, and the site's archive of more than 200 Stats/Results/Analysis posts.

Ironman Kona 2013 Top Women Finishers Race Performance and Results Analysis










Live tracking can be found at Ironman.com. For Starters. see our Kona article in the Saturday October 11, 2013 Wall Street Journal, and highlights from our past analysis, and race photos.