Ironman Wisconsin, a long standing member of the North American Ironman circuit, will take place this Sunday. Falling just 5 weeks before the Ironman World Championship means it’s qualification slots are for the 2015 event; there are 50 available for those looking to book their place early. As a race Wisconsin is like most other North American events with results generally showing similar trends.
You can find more detailed statistics for each age group at the bottom of this article.
Comparing the two groups of results – 11 years of Ironman Wisconsin data against one full year of US Ironman data – and the median numbers are very similar. There is little to pick between them. The only point I might note is the slower average pro times in Wisconsin, probably a consequence of falling so close to Kona (particularly prior to the points system). Next year there will be no pros racing at Wisconsin as one of the races to lose it’s Kona points and prize purse.
Looking at the distribution of splits from these two groups gives a little more insight. Average times are similar in all three disciplines and the overall results, but we can also see that the top 5-10% are slower in bike, run and overall splits. Again, perhaps a consequence of the timing of this race – those pros and age groupers racing Kona are unlikely to race here. This may be sufficient to thin out the front-of-pack, but then there are those who target races that fall close to Kona in the hope of easier competition.
| Number of Athletes | Number of Slots | |
|---|---|---|
| F18-24 | 21 | 1 |
| F25-29 | 78 | 2 |
| F30-34 | 115 | 2 |
| F35-39 | 136 | 2 |
| F40-44 | 130 | 2 |
| F45-49 | 122 | 2 |
| F50-54 | 71 | 2 |
| F55-59 | 25 | 1 |
| F60-64 | 13 | 1 |
| F65-69 | 5 | 1 |
| M18-24 | 62 | 2 |
| M25-29 | 188 | 3 |
| M30-34 | 297 | 4 |
| M35-39 | 331 | 5 |
| M40-44 | 413 | 5 |
| M45-49 | 318 | 4 |
| M50-54 | 255 | 4 |
| M55-59 | 118 | 2 |
| M60-64 | 51 | 2 |
| M65-69 | 12 | 1 |
| M70-74 | 2 | 1 |
| M75-79 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2764 | 50 |
The table above contains my estimates for the slot allocation at Kona. figures are based on the bib list available on the Ironman site, actual numbers will likely vary. It’s a very typical distribution of Kona slots, a pattern seen at most races.
When looking at the average lines in these graphs it’s worth noting that, in any given year, times have varied, in some cases by more than an hour. The average gives a crude picture of events, but offers some insight into the qualifying race. The fall off in times from first to tenth is generally quite quick – possibly suggestive of a weaker front of pack in Wisconsin. For the main male age groups the general rule has been results under 10 hours for a chance of qualifying – not the fastest qualifier, but times can go down into the low 9 hours. For the women times gravitate around the 11 hour mark, but again with the potential to be quite a bit faster. The front of pack may be a little different in Wisconsin, but I wouldn’t count it as an easier bet.
For more specific age group statistics on qualification you can download the PDFs below.
Detailed Age Group Statistics
Age group specific Ironman Wisconsin results analysis. More charts and more detailed timings and splits for top age grouper and Kona qualifiers.
Select an age group to view or download PDF
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A full analysis of this year’s race will follow at the start of next week.
