WTC doing away with mass starts at races - Discuss (Page 6)

I'm in for CDa and when I signed up I expected a mass start.  I was nervous about it no doubt, but I planned to be the last one off the beach.  That way I'd know exactly what place I was in. I'm estimating I'll swim 1:30 or so, but swimming and getting beaten gives me a lot of anxiety. 

The truth is in the end we don't have a say.  I'll do the race no matter what the start is. 

I always thought the idea behind IM was to create the hardest challenge.  I doubt they thought let's start 3000 people at once and that will be a part of this challenge.  

It's always been that way so it can't change or it will suck.  This is a terrible way to look at it.  Someone a long time ago said let's change things up and swim/bike/run.  Thank God they didn't listen to peole who said that would suck. 

We'll all have to give it a chance and see how it goes. 

JMHO not GTFO or GFY or even WTF although I did say all thre of these at one point while reading this thread..

Chris 

Listen I could care less if it stays the same or goes to a wave or TT....the start is not going to define my day however, I do not understand why people "like" the contact.....doesnt it slow you down? get you out of rhythm? basically effect your time?

I think its like a nascar driver saying they like being bumped or boxed out like danica this past weekend...they would not say it because its slows them down....it does not mean they are afraid of collisions just that they know it will slow them down.

or a running back would rather have a hole to run through than having to break many tackles

So I can see that you like the nostalgia of the mass start since the inception of the sport or not bothered by the contact but not to actually like it or want it.

A lot of folks think the mass start is fun; an adventure. I'm one of them. I liked it.

ok, I guess if you enjoy the adventure part of surviving the mosh pit, I will not give anyone a hardtime about that point, but I read posts all the time "I want to KQ", "i want to break 12 hrs" "I want a PR"...i would think if it wasnt the extra several minutes that the mass start slows you down it would be the extra energy you waste getting into and out of scuffles with people that would be more of an issue slowing them down....but maybe thats me and I see your point and I guess others would prefer to mix it up and slow down than go faster

Funny post. One correction though. The Waikiki Rough Water Swim from which the idea of Ironman was born was a beach, mass start. Not 3000 people, admittedly, but in roughwater races, you're gonna have contact. Don't like it? GGITP (Go Get In The Pool)...

South America and Asia are actually their biggest scouting markets right now, so they should be expanding soon. 

I have given waves a chance.  Every race I have done has been a wave.  I will be doing a TT start at a race (off a boat) in April.   I'd like to give a mass start a chance but some people are advocating getting rid of them before i get the chance.

Yes, I specifically said IMHO to seperate it from fact.  I realize there are others, but it was a point to think about.

You didn't say IMNY was a mass start.  You said, and I paraphrase, that WTC had a problem and a potential solution was Time Trial starts.  But one of the few incidents you referenced had a time trial start.  I think that it is fair to point that out.

In NY (I forget if it was IMNY or the Oly) there were 2 deaths both of experienced triathletes.  The incidents I've read have never been a first timer, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  But it does show that experience isn't the cure all either.

Testing is a whole other topic and one that has been beaten to death.

How will that work with the midnight cutoff... would later waves have those minutes taken off? I always end up in the last wave of mass starts but still have to meet the same cutoff time giving me as much as 15 minutes less than the first wave.... and I'm the slowest of the slow lol

IMCDA is my first IM and I need every second I can get  Less time for to finish would be 1.  Not fair, 2.  Bad for me.  I want the same as everyone else.

Like lisac, I too enjoyed the mayhem of the mass start.  It's not like anyone actually enjoys the physical act of being kicked.  But, it is part of the excitement of the start of the day.  I remember looking around at the nervous smiles around me while treading water.  We were all in it together.  As far as being slowed down?  Considering my IM swim was one of the fastest swims I'd ever done, about 10 minutes faster than I expected, I'd have to say that's not the strongest argument. Some people will be slower sure, but it's possible to be faster as well.   I never got into a scuffle with anyone. If I got converged on, I'd take a peek, and either slow down, or take a couple really hard strokes and get out of it. It just adds a whole dimension.  

To me a big thing is, if you don't like the contact, sit in the back, wait five minutes and you'll have all the freedom you want, and you'll still have 16:55 to finish. However if you're in the back of a TT start, you'll have 16:20-16:30 to finish.  If they do waves, then if you're slow no matter how long you wait after the start, you're going to get steamrolled by the fast swimmers in the next wave. A mass start really seems to be the only one that gives everyone the option to do the swim how ever they want.  

I've only done one mass start (IMFL) and it went off with very little contact and jostling.  Honestly, the wave starts I've done I had way more contact and issues - probably just because of smaller swim area. 

I prefer mass starts because everyone (with the exception of a few pros) started at the same time as you.  It's easier to pull away from the slower racers, and you know generally where you stand while on the course. 

"WTC realizes that a problem exists in their product and that safety may be compromised, so they are being proactive to find a possible solution, potentially." 

Where do I suggest that TT starts is their solution? In fact, they are looking into several different start options so maybe TT starts is not one of the potential solutions. But again, we really don't know anything yet, its just all speculation right now.

Great idea jford!!  Those that are racing for Kona and want to know where the competion is can all start at the same time and those that want the experience of a mass start could join the frenzy. Those that like the idea of the TT will be happy. Best of both worlds if you ask me.

Honu 70.3 has always been a mass start.  Last year, they gave the pros a 3 minute head start at 6:57...but most people thought it was simply because of Lance, and they didn't want the AGers wading in the water next to him.

I just found out that this year the pros will start at 6:50, AG men at 6:53, and AG women at 7:00.  FYI, Honu usually has about 1500 people toe the line...so races with 2500+ might see a couple more waves.  This information was just released...less than 3 months from the race.  So don't be surprised if some of the races you have already signed up for later in the summer also releases similar changes.

Maybe I missed it, but WTC has yet to release any official word about switching from a mass swim start.

So far, I've only heard about the "discussion" about changing the swim start at CDA.

Is there any updated info on this info since that "discussion" took place??

I don't think there was an official word.  I found out about Honu when the schedule of events for the race was released.