Isoman UK 2020

Triathlon equalised, anyone? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Arrow Valley Park, Redditch.

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I was with Gary at our end of season dinner on Saturday, he mentioned he was only going up to the half next year.
Ps. Itā€™s Redditch in case anyone is looking up the location.

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Oops! I have amended my typo - thanks.

The half suits me.

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YES!

Have been looking at this for several years, and asked couple times on Facebook if any details on dates etc once they hinted was coming back to UK for 2020. Iā€™ll be in for the 77 most likely.

Edit: Just looked up dates :confused: Busy with Spartan obstacle course race with a friend on the Saturday that Iā€™ve already re-arranged in order to do Lakesman tri. Staying over Saturday night for a piss-up, then was hoping to get to Bolton to support IM on the Sunday.

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Yesā€¦ that weekend is ridiculous. Canā€™t believe yet another event has popped up. I am committed to the Henley Swim Festival but Iā€™m going to try to move things around as I have wanted to do Isoman for years and have never been able to make it! Iā€™m feeling the 77 too.

Iā€™m also working 1 in 2 weekends from April to July, but have booked in 4 weekends already without knowing rota, 3 that are ā€œmust-dosā€ (2x A races and a friends weddings). So unfortunately might have to wait until I get rota and find what shift swaps I need to do before further committing myself.

Iā€™ve also always wanted to give this a go, just for being different. Iā€™ve swum there before as my mum lives local(ish). I really donā€™t know what is going on with that date next year. It seems like half the events in Europe are taking place on that weekend! And that means Iā€™m also out, as Iā€™ll be at IM Vitoria

Isoman is basically a Triathlon for swimmers; they kind of missed the point of equal effort across disciplines. You cannot compare 2h of swimming with biking (for example). But something different nonetheless!

I would theoretically do pretty well in it; but then the only people that will do it are decent swim/runners like me!

Fair point. I was thinking that this race format would sort out the mamils, but it wonā€™t really because they wonā€™t enter it!

My heart did sink when I saw the date, but Iā€™ll see how things pan out over the next month before entry opens.

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Yes weā€™vequestioned on here before about Isoman. I really like the concept, but do tend to agree the distances maybe over-favour swimmers, and especially within their target audience. Some fag-packet maths:

Amongst competitive males: FOP IM swimmer (~50min) will gain ~ 35 minutes on a 1:10 (strong-MOP?) IM swimmer including slight extrapolation for extra fatigue from the MOP swimmer over extra distance.
If the swimmer can then hold 30kph the cyclist needs to average 42kph to make the catch at T2.
If the FOP swimmer holds 32-33kph (which is probably more in line with that equivalent MOP standard of 1:10 IM swimmer?) then the uber biker needs to go 47-50kph.

For that reason very few people weaker than a 1:00 IM swim will consider it IF THEY WANT TO COMPETE (Huge other reasons to enter for different challenge etc which are far more valuable, but weā€™re just talking about being a fair competition between athletes of 3 sports).
Advertising to triathletes who tend to be/have been forced to become better cyclists restricts their audience, plus not many weaker swimmers will fancy a 2-3 hour swim if itā€™s something they already dread/get through in a triathlon.

But the way theyā€™ve made up the distances has a story in order to sell the race, rather than just being random distances so can see the dilemma to try and change it.

Ultimately, the Nice 4-120-30 distance does seem perfect.

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Dammit! As a swim/runner I would of loved to do this eventā€¦

ā€¦ but sadly already pencilled in another Aquathlon.

Pfftā€¦

Thatā€™s very interesting. The pie chart on the website does seem to be worked out on the basis of time rather than effort.

I like it though - itā€™s different, and Iā€™m always looking for different. Any thoughts of an age group win have been dashed because I have looked at past results and there are no age categories. So I will be doing it to complete rather than compete! I donā€™t mind that; I have done many smaller races where weā€™re all in it together.

In 2015 there were two categories: Male 99 and under, and Female 99 and under :joy::joy: love it!! :+1:t3:

The 4-120-30 distance? Would that be the ETU long distance? Another format I have looked at but never done.

Yeh, the distances are based on the world records for each sport starting with the marathon @2hrs, then the nearest cycling time trial and OW swim to that to get the speeds and adjust back to 2hrs again. If you put together a world class relay team it should take 6 hours.

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6h would not be world class in the Isoman 77 event; or have I missed something. In fact I would be very disappointed with 6h!

I figure for me - 1:30/1:45/1:35 (4:50) plus transitions. So expecting a sub-5.

No, thatā€™s how they arrived at the distances for the full one. The 77 is the half.

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Ah right, sorry. I donā€™t see the Full on the OP above thatā€™s all then.

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There isnā€™t a full in 2020.
Reckon 6 hrs is about right for me for the 77!!!

1hr45mins for 50km???
You sure? More like 1hr 15mins to 1hr 30mins.

Youā€™re probably right!

Think they also give prizes for the most equal athletes. @Jorgan you would probably fare quite well.

Iā€™d project 73 swim, 90 bike, and 85 run for me so clearly not a true TRIathlete like theyā€™re looking for. But continuing to enjoy and improve cycling.

@Amanda yes think some ETU long course races still do 4-120-30, but Iā€™ve not really heard of them much. I think there used to be a famous race at Nice before I got into tri that was same format, have heard one of Allen/Scott talk about it and seen other references.