Chicago Triathlon FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Races: Sunday August 29, 2008, Monroe Harbor

• International (Olympic) Distance: 0.93 swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run
• Age group competitors
• Relay teams
• Professionals
• Sprint Distance: .47 mile swim. 13.6 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
• Age group competitors on road/racing bikes
• Mountain bike division, bike with tires 1.75 inches or more

Transition area

• Open from 4:15am, closes at 5:45am, and they really mean 5:45am
• Must rack with your bib number grouping; racks will be labeled
• Transition area open only for competing athletes until approximately 11am
• Retrieve gear between 11am and 1pm

Swim Waves (groups or racers that start at different time intervals)

• Typically between 80 and 150 athletes
• First wave starts around 6am
• Four (4) minutes between waves
• Last wave may depart as late as 9am or later
• Mandatory: must swim with your wave or DQ
• Wave schedule: finalized on race weekend; see lists at the race Expo

The Swim

• Wetsuit: not mandatory, but helpful
• Deep water -- treading water -- start
• Swim stroke: any one you want
• Stopping for rest or breath: hang on guard boats or pier
• Water conditions: may be choppy, variable temperature, may smell like boat engine oil
• Gear check at swim start
• You can leave shoes at the water's exit if desired

Bike

• One lap for Sprint racers, two laps for International Distance
• Turnaround to begin second lap tends to be just short of Navy Pier
• No aid stations
• Bike breakdowns: assistance may be available, but it may be a long wait
• Best bet: carry a spare tube and pump or CO2 cartridge, know how to change your tire

Run

• Aid stations on the course
• Pretty straightforward, follow markings
• Pass on left if possible
• Keep going until you finish -- then celebrate

For more, return to our Chicago Triathlon coverage.

Ironman Lake Placid 2010 Photos

Here's how we saw the race. Samples below; set of more than 200 photos at Ironman Lake Placid 2010 by Raymond Britt.

Ironman Races in 2010 and Kona Slots Per Race

[Also see Ironman Races 2011-2012 and Kona Slots per Race]

Each year, more than 50,000 triathletes compete in races all over the world hoping to earn one of roughly 1800 golden opportunities of a lifetime: the right to race with the best in the world in Kona.

The allocation of those 1800 slots is roughly as follows:

• 1500 slots earned at qualifying races (see estimates below)
• 200 awarded in an official Ironman lottery held each Spring; thousands apply; see www.ironman.com for details and registration
• The rest go to previous Kona winners, last year’s Kona age group winners, NBC broadcast subjects, sponsor and manufacturer representatives.

Other than trying your luck – against very long odds --at the lottery, if you want to go to Kona, you need to qualify. An overview of the qualifying slot distribution process:

• The 1500 slots are allocated among 25 Ironman qualifying races and Ironman 70.3 California
• The slots each race gets (e.g., Wisconsin = 72 slots) are allocated among age-group divisions and pros (e.g., M45-49 age group gets 6 slots)
• The slots in each race’s age-group division are reserved for the top finishers (e.g., the top 6 finishers in M45-49 are entitled to take a slot)
• It may happen that some athletes will choose to not accept a slot they earned for some reason; any slots not accepted ‘roll down’ to the next finisher(s) who also have the option to accept or pass on the slot.
• The ‘Roll Down’ process continues until all slots are taken
• Note: see official race rules for details and timing