RunTri

Ironman Japan 2013 Results Analysis

After being absent from the Ironman triathlon circuits since 2009, the new Ironman Japan 2013 kicked off the World Triathlon Corporation's 2013-2014 season in grand fashion. It was not an easy race: Of the more than 1500 athletes who registered for the event, 12% did not start, a relatively high 10% did not finish, and 1,239 finished within 17 hours (the 2009 race had a 15 hour limit).

The average finish time was a decidedly slow 13 hours and 39 minutes, compared with an average Ironman race finish time of 12:35, making it one of the tougher Ironman Courses in the World. Compared to most other Ironman events, the swim split was average. The bike course presented the greatest challenge, with an average bike split of an exceptionally rare 7 hour split, accounting for 52% of the average finisher's race. Somehow, most finishers held enough in reserve to run a reasonably fast 4:57 run split.

We've sliced and diced the results, presented below: overall, by split, by age group, and by correlation between bike and run split. For further comparison, look at our Top 25 Toughest Ironman Course Rankings; you'll note that Japan 2013 is a much tougher race than in 2009.

Diana Nyad Completes Record-Breaking Cuba to Florida Swim

On her fifth attempt, Diana Nyad completed what she and her crew called an 'Extreme Dream' -- swimming more than 100 miles from Cuba to Florida, non-stop, without protection of a shark cage or the benefits of a wetsuit. She arrived on the shores of Key West at about 2pm local time, surrounded by the crew that accompanied her from start to finish, to the cheers from hundreds of local well-wishers.

As the neared the shore, from about one mile to go, she paused briefly to reflect on the journey (ABC photo, below), then continued to complete her ultimate achievement.

Worldwide interest in Diana Nyad's #ExtremeDream Quest to Swim from Cuba to Florida has soared she approaches a triumphant finish. See worldwide search trend chart below.

For more exceptional endurance athletic performances, see our complete Stats/Results/Analysis tab on the upper left, just under the RunTri banner.

Ironman Louisville 2013 Results Analysis

After an extremely challenging Ironman Louisville 2012, which saw a DNF rate of 14% and an average finish time of 13:41, Ironman Louisville 2013 may have seemed mild, by comparison, with an average finish time of 13 hours, 24 minutes. But compared to many of the world's leading Ironman events we evaluate based on average finish time, even the 2013 edition ranks among the toughest.

See our Ironman Louisville 2012 Results Analysis for a comprehensive comparison of races from 2009 to 2012. Then, compare that history with our complete Ironman Louisville 2013 analysis below, covering results overall, by year, by age group, by swim, bike, and run split, by correlation between bike and run splits, and more. No matter how you look at it, Louisville is clearly one tough race; its finishers have much to be proud of.