[Ironman & Ironman70.3 PE, South Africa 2023]

30 minutes ago, shaper said:

Before you start putting people in boxes as keyboard worriers, as a coach I had 5 athletes racing the 70.3 and 1 doing the full.  I also had people on the ground there giving regular feedback, so know what the conditions were at the start and also having prior raced there myself.  I have also raced in worse conditions without the swim being shortened.  As well as raced the full there in 2017/2018 and raced World Champs 70.3 there in 2018 and did the inaugural 70.3NMB last year.  

Having spoken to all my athletes post race.  All said the swim was fine and surprised that it was shortened, especially as the 70.3 were only swimming nearly 2 hours after the pro's started.   Some did mention that there seemed to be an undercurrent in the water and if you stopped swimming you drifted, but swimming at the surface was not and issue and everyone commented post race that the  current helped them all set good swim times. Faster min/100m pace than they have ever done in training.

So your zero experience of doing such an event and only being there as a spectator worrying about your better half doing her first does not make you any better than what you deemed to keyboard worriers who have raced these events and participated in much worse condition and as I said, I had people on the ground looking after athletes and giving feedback as well as considering the wellbeing of my athletes.

As for time of year, this event has moved in date quite a few times since the last full swim in 2018.  Last year it was on 03 April 2023. and this year a full month earlier.  As the local say, you can swim 360 of 365 days in PE, seems that Ironman always seem to get the 5 days when you cannot.  Funny that.

Personally and as others state the call was made to quickly and it will have a big negative effect on the event going forward especially with attracting international athletes.  Considering the low numbers for the full, it could well be the death of the full and we are left with three 70.3 races and if you want to do a full you will have to travel overseas.

Where did I say I had zero experience. I said I sat this one out because I am nursing an injury. Have competed there a number of times. I was registered, but chose not to start, based on my physios recommendation. This would have been my 9th 70.3, and my third IM event in PE

I was not relying on people on the ground to give me feedback, I was there. The weather was really bad earlier in the morning, and when we went into transition early morning to rack bottles, we were thinking the swim might be cancelled completely. You cant with a clear conscious send hundreds of people into a ocean swim with lightning striking, that is insanity. The call was made, and the start delayed. Maybe they were a bit premature making the call, but it is what it is. By the time the 70.3 start took place, the weather had pretty much completely cleared, but the event was already delayed, and the bouys were out the water, so it was too late to reverse it. 

All in, was a great event weekend, and the gees in PE was as good as ever.  Had major FOMO, and look forward to being back next year. 

 

But I am here for to look for deals on the marketplace, I should have known better than to actually engage with the forum side of things. The negativity and expert opinions of a bunch of people who weren’t there and have no intention of taking part in the future either just struck a nerve, after having a great weekend in PE.  As you were

[Ironman & Ironman70.3 PE, South Africa 2023]

So many keyboard warriors here, while hardly any "regular" hubbers could have even been bothered to take part or even just go to spectate.

At 05:00 the weather was appalling, thunder, lightning, lots of wind. The organizers had to make a call. Delaying by anything more would ha e made it impossible to finish by midnight, which is a hard cut off they face from the city.

I am nursing a torn rotator cuff, so had to sit it out, but was the first time spectating in years, and I take my hat off to the organizers and volunteers. They put on an incredible event, in sometimes very trying conditions. 

 

No one I spoke to was upset about a shortened swim, that's including rank amateurs just out there to finish, as well as two age group winners I spoke to. My better half put in an amazing effort to finish her first, and definitely not last 70.3, and I was on the sidelines with major fomo all day, but can only sing the praises of the organizers.

I  can understand 70.3 athletes being confused about the shortened swim, but those that saw the conditions 90 minutes prior to the IM elite men's start, definitely weren't.

Besides, the lifeguards had already brought the for bouys back in by the time the event started, so even though the conditions cleared, it was too late to revert back to a full swim.

But I'm sure glad to see all the armchair bandits who were probably still snug in bed 500-1000km away from Hobie Beach know better.

 

Maybe the bike event organizers, who can't even seem to be bothered with arranging proper road/lane closures anymore, should take some notes from IM about just how one should go about organising truly world class events. That said, I do think there is some merit in reconsidering the time of year for the SA events, and I think they would do themselves a favor if they drop the Durban event completely.