Are all Ironmen equal?

Oh dear, it seems I’ve made a terrible mistake...

A couple of weeks ago, there was quite a bit of discussion and even controversy throughout the triathlon and Ironman community - the catalysts were Ironman Austria and Challenge Roth. At IM Austria, the awesome Marino Vanhoenacker (now try saying that after a few pints) went out on his favourite course in great conditions and absolutely destroyed the previous world record for an Iron distance race (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run) which had stood for 14 years.

One week later at Challenge Roth in Germany (also an Iron distance race but not run by the WTC and, therefore, not an official ‘Ironman’ brand race), Andreas Raelert tore down the pants on Marino’s world record and spanked it like a ginger stepchild to the tune of four and a half minutes.

The controversy stemmed from reports that Challenge Roth could have been a short course - inexcusable in days of Google Earth, GPS measurements etc. The discussion, on several triathlon sites, podcasts and magazine websites, was along the lines of ‘when is an Ironman not an Ironman?’

Look back at previous Iron distance world records and you’ll see that they’ve all been set in Austria or Germany. Throw some of the other central European races that pop up around the same time of year and that’s where the fastest times are inevitably recorded each year. They’re fast courses - the swims are in lakes or canals that are as still and clear as ponds, while the bike and run legs are mainly flat with some nice rolling hills. Conditions at that time of year are perfect too - warm, still but not too hot. But, the question is, does that make them less ‘worthy’ or ‘easier’?

My interest in this has been piqued by recent reports from both pros and top age group racers who’ve been recce-ing the Ironman Wales course of late. In a test swim, half the competitors were washed up kilometres down the beach, so strong were the currents. The sea is rough and very cold - an Olympic swimmer expected to record a time of 44 minutes for the course came in on 56 minutes - a HUGE difference for an athlete of that calibre.

The UK 70.3 bike course (Half Ironman) is said to be the world’s most difficult 70.3. One seasoned racer recently rode the IM Wales course and likened it to doing UK 70.3 twice! Many potential Kona qualifiers are opting for road bikes over tri bikes, such is the difficulty of the climbs and technical nature of the descents. Even the run has huge inclines which stretch on for kilometres at a time. Most are claiming Wales will become a classic due to being the toughest Ironman in Europe. When I read the reports, it scares the hell out of me and, I confess, makes me question why I didn’t try a flatter race.

But there’s an old saying in triathlon: it doesn’t get any easier, you just get faster. Those central European courses may be faster, but that just means you’re expected to post quicker times. They’re no easier. 100% effort is 100% effort, no matter where you lay it down. The beauty of triathlon, and this probably applies even more to Ironman triathlon, is that you race the course on any given day. Full stop. Yes, I’d probably finish quicker doing a different course, but so would everyone else.

Last winter, I raced two Olympic distance triathlons maybe a month apart. The first was OK, tho I found the run a struggle, but I posted a PR of 2:13. The next one I nailed and felt much faster throughout - I did 2:15. But when I looked at everyone else who raced, including the winners, almost to a man they were 4-5 minutes down on their times in the previous race for some reason - dodgy distances, conditions, a harder course...who knows. So my 2.15 was my better performance. Weather conditions on race day can even affect what constitutes a good performance on the same course you’ve raced on several times before.

So, I’m expecting a long, hard slog - but I’d expect that anywhere. Any hopes and dreams in terms of finishing times have been scrapped - this one is about finishing and nothing else. And if I do, and get that IM finisher medal around my neck, I’ll know I well and truly earned it (and other IM courses will hold no fear!).

So did I make a terrible mistake, after all? Absolutely, I should never have read those damn route reports.