Ironman New York US Championship Results Analysis

Congratulations to all finishers of the inaugural Ironman New York US Championship triathlon. We've run the numbers, from overall averages to details by age group, and here are our results:
  • Average Finish Time: 12:56 (compare to 12:35 average of all Ironman Races)
    • Swim: 0:51(7% of total time; fastest ever)
    • Bike: 6:31 (50%)
    • Run: 5:17 (41%)
    • Transitions: 0:15 (2%)
  • Entrants: 2,738; Did Not Start/DNS: 22%
  • Starters: 2142; Did Not Finish/DNF: 6%
  • Finishers: 2,021
  • Finishers in Last 2 Hours: 13% of all finishers
And here are the details by age group.

Average finish time of 12:56 was heavily weighted by the M30-34 and M35-39 age groups.
The breakdown of time by discipline -- competitors spent 50% on the bike, 41% on the run, and 9% on the swim and transitions -- was consistent with our observations in most Ironman events. Compared to other Ironman events, the 51 minute average swim time was unprecedented (normal is 1:10+), but the average bike (6:31) and especially the run (5:17) times were slower. 









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Jordan Rapp won the inaugural Ironman New York City US Championship race in 8 hours, 11 minutes. The second-place finisher, Maxim Kriat, came in at 8 hours, 24 minutes.



Compared to other Ironman races, Ironman NYC's swim times are are the fastest, by far. Check back later for further results analysis after the race.


Of the more than 2700 registered athletes, 21.8%, or 596 entrants, chose not to start the race. Sadly, one triathlete 'experienced distress' on the swim and died soon after  at a local hospital.  The cause of death is unknown; an autopsy is planned. "On behalf of all of us in the triathlon community, we mourn his death and send our condolences to his family and loved ones," race organizers said in a statement.





In addition to serving as the US Championship, the race also offers 75 chances to qualify for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.

For more, see our complete Stats/Results/Analysis page, with more than 200 articles analyzing results and comparing the best races in the world.

For everything else,  see the RunTri.com Site Map.


Women's Olympic Triathlon 2012: Photo Finish Results Analysis

Dead Heat: Photo Finish. Who wins when two athletes finish at the same time? It doesn't get more dramatic than the 2012 Olympic Women's Triathlon finish in London with a gold medal at stake.

After a furious sprint to the end, Nicola Spirig of Switzerland and Lisa Norden of Sweden both finished in the same official time: 1:59:48. The final result was determined by race officials after reviewing the photo finish: Spirig won gold, Norden took Silver.

But did officials make the right call? We gathered images that capture the finish as seen from all angles; take a look and judge for yourself. (On 8/10/12, the Swedish Olympic Committee had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking them to take a second look, as well)

As you view the photos (via Reuters, AP), pay attention to the difference between the finish banner location and the actual finish line. Also, note the official photo finish, with the banner wrapped around Spirig and Norden, which, based on the photo series here, implies the image was captured well after crossing the white line.


Norden striding to catch Spirig, steps from the finish. Image by Aaron Hersh, Triathlete.com


Norden lunges for the banner; Spirig appears to be leaning back

Both appear to touch the banner, waist level, at same time

Norden appears to be out-leaning Spirig, at the banner


Nearly the same moment as previous photo, from right side

View 3 of approximately the same moment, from head-on facing camera
View 4 of the same moment; both athletes' torsos crossing official finish line. Note 2 important elements: 1. both athletes' feet are planted; 2. banner ends are not dragging significantly behind either finisher.

This is the official photo finish image, used to declare the winner. Note, compared to previous 4 photos, that neither athletes' front foot is firmly planted on the ground, and the finish banner is flowing well behind them.  If all details in this image, relative to position, are accurate, it would appear that this photo was taken well after both athletes fully crossed the official finish line, or approximately at the point shown in the photo below.
Image by Aaron Hersh, Triathlete.com



Both Spirig and the Swede hit the finish banner together at the Olympics triathlon this morning. Both had a time of 1:59:48.00.

In a world where Olympic swimming medals are determined by 0.01 second, triathlon (and running) events have an all too common (though unintentional) problem: two 'finish' lines. Which is 'official'? Who wins?

Finish line #1: The finish banner, which was the athletes' target, wasn't held over the actual finish line; see #2. (Undoubtedly, holding in the wrong position wasn't the banner holders' intent)

Finish line #2: The official finish line was marked on the running surface. about a foot in front of the banner. The official photo finish seems based on this line.

What if one or both athletes thought the race was over when they hit the banner? What if one or both eased up, thinking it was over?

A letup or the slightest break in form between the finish banner and the official line could have resulted in a change in gold/silver results.




For more. visit london2012.org.

RunTri.com: Why We're Here

Our Mission: Inspire you to envision, strive for and achieve success that once seemed impossible. 

At one point in time, every single athlete -- from elite racers to complete amateurs -- considered one or more of these challenges to be impossible, even ridiculous:
Who can do these events? You can. Really. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

We're here to help. We're a non-profit resource providing practical training and racing advice to athletes (1.9 million visitors from 125 countries) with realistic priorities: Families, friends and work come first; Then, Be Epic.

We have competed in most of the races and/or we cover, many of them multiple times: 29 Ironman Triathlons, 48 marathons, 22 ultramarathons and other races. Our original content and insights come from these experiences, and we hope you find them useful on your journey.

Everything you Need to Know, or at least most everything we found useful as we trained and raced, is Here. Of course, always visit relevant Official Sites for everything else.

The material on this site -- articles, images, analysis -- are contributed and copyrighted by Raymond Britt and Run Tri, except where noted. We applaud your independence and your spirit on the journey to make the impossible possible.

Envision. Strive. Believe. Achieve. Inspire. Be Epic. Ready? Set -- GO.

Feel free to email questions or comments to RaymondBritt@RunTri.com

Important: Your mileage and results will vary. As our content is, by definition, unofficial, always visit official sites for official information; always. And consult your physician before attempting anything described here, or anything else.
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