The final round of 2014 Kona qualifiers is upon us with 4 Ironman races offering slots for the World Champs over the next two weeks. First in line is Ironman Sweden offering 50 Kona slots to the fastest age groupers on Saturday. Results from two years of the event have ranged from the fast in 2013 to the exceptionally fast in 2012. There is no doubt that Kalmar offers a fast course, it’s just a question of how fast on the day.
More detailed age group specific statistics are available to download at the bottom of this page.
First up a comparison of median splits from Ironman Sweden and across all of last year’s European races. It’s a broad view, but give some context for Sweden in the European series. What’s clear is that the major difference between Sweden and the other events comes on the bike where times tend to be notably faster. Other than this splits are quite comparable with the European average.
For a more detailed view we can also compare the distribution of splits at these races. Unsurprisingly it backs up the observations from the medians. Sweden trend faster overall and this can be largely credited to the bike. In fact the swim at Sweden has tended to be slower than other races and the run comparable.
| Number of Athletes | Number of Slots | |
|---|---|---|
| F18-24 | 13 | 1 |
| F25-29 | 43 | 2 |
| F30-34 | 63 | 2 |
| F35-39 | 75 | 2 |
| F40-44 | 60 | 2 |
| F45-49 | 45 | 2 |
| F50-54 | 19 | 1 |
| F55-59 | 10 | 1 |
| F60-64 | 4 | 1 |
| M18-24 | 39 | 1 |
| M25-29 | 175 | 3 |
| M30-34 | 305 | 5 |
| M35-39 | 375 | 6 |
| M40-44 | 460 | 7 |
| M45-49 | 340 | 5 |
| M50-54 | 187 | 3 |
| M55-59 | 60 | 2 |
| M60-64 | 28 | 1 |
| M65-69 | 8 | 1 |
| M70-74 | 2 | 1 |
| M75-79 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2312 | 50 |
The table above estimates the distribution of Kona slots amongst the age groups based on the start list currently available on the Ironman website. Actual numbers will vary dependent on starters. It’s a very typical distribution of slots – heavily weighted around the M40-44 age group, the largest in the field.
Two very different years leaves qualifying times wide open. They will be fast, but the question is how fast? In good conditions Sweden has attracted a very strong field and seen an exceptional number of age groupers break 9 hours. The potential is there for a very competitive race, but this is also dependent on whether it attracts the same depth in the age group field as it did in its inaugural year.
Some more detailed stats are available in the documents below.
Detailed Age Group Statistics
Age group specific Ironman Sweden 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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I’ve a couple of athletes to follow in Sweden this weekend. A full analysis will come shortly after the race.
