Half Ironman: How Many Triathletes Enter but do not Start or Finish the race?

More than 67,000 triathletes registered for 40 half ironman distance races last year. But how many paid to the entry fees only to skip the race altogether, or to start but not finish? About 20%, on average.

In most all of the races we examined, more than 15% of those who registered did not make it to the starting line. In many events, of those who raced, at least 3% to 4% did not finish, though the rate soared to the 10% range for a few very tough events.

Half Ironman: How Many Athletes Sign up for a Triathlon?

In the last year, 67,500 triathletes registered to compete in 40 of the world's best half ironman distance events, or about 1700 per race, on average. But there are significant differences; 3000+ registered for a half ironman race in Augusta, Georgia; less than 150 signed up for the race in China.

The next question: how many actually start and finish a half ironman triathlon? More than 15% for most events. See our analysis here.

Sold Out Ironman Races: How Many Choose Not to Race?

Most north American Ironman races sell out on the first day of registration. After that, several hundred enter sold out races via a Foundation Entry, which double the fee, with 50% going to Ironman Foundation charities. With all the demand to enter these races, it's remarkable that hundreds ultimately will never reach the starting line.

Of those who do start a north American Ironman, about 95% finish. The exceptions in 2010 were Louisville and St. George, where several hundred triathletes did not reach the finish line.