|
Event Information:
Returning to Bolton for the 4th
year, and with Age Group qualifying
slots for the World
Championships in Kona Hawaii,
IRONMAN UK continues to offer a
world class event, in the heart of
the beautiful North West
Countryside. An Ironman Triathlon is
one of a series of long-distance
triathlon races organized by the
World Triathlon Corporation (WTC)
consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km)
swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike
and a marathon (26.2 miles 42.195
km) run, raced in that order and
without a break. Most Ironman events
have a strict time limit of 17 hours
to complete the race, where the
Ironman race starts at 7 AM, the
mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4
mile swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, the
bike cut off time is 5:30 PM, and
all finishers must complete their
marathon by midnight.
There
have been a number of non-WTC "Ironman
Distance" triathlons that have been
held since the mid-1990s. The
limited number of WTC-sanctioned
events, and the limited number of
entries available per race, have
combined with a growth in the sport
that has created demand for these
non-trademarked events. Many of them
share the 2.4-mile (3.9 km),
112-mile (180 km), 26.2-mile (42.2
km) format with Ironman. Originally,
many used the Ironman name. Due to
aggressive trademark protection,
most of these races no longer use
the word "Ironman". The largest of
these include the Vineman Triathlon,
Silverman Triathlon and
Californiaman Triathlon.
The original Ironman is held in
conditions which are uniquely
punishing for endurance racing: the
Hawaii water is warm enough that
helpfully buoyant wetsuits are not
allowed; though the cycling hills
have only moderate gradients they
are normally crossed by strong and
gusting winds; and the marathon leg
of the race is usually extremely
hot. Other races under the WTC aegis
have their own difficulties,
characteristic of their setting and
season. Anyone completing one of
these races within the time limit,
so long as it is the prescribed
distance, is entitled to call
themselves an Ironman (the term
being gender-neutral). At one time
there was no cut-off time, then a 15
hour time limit. For these events
the normal time limit is now 17
hours. Some iron distance races (not
sanctioned by the WTC corporation,
but using the same standard
distances) have different cut-off
times.
Local
Weather:
|
