As most triathletes are aware all Ironman events have a cut off time of 17 hours for participants to be considered an official finisher. This cut off time has even been adopted by other Iron-distance events. Many people feel the 17 hour cut off is more than generous and should be shortened. Others will tell you that the cut off time should remain as it is or even extended. Here is a summary of the arguments:
1. Shorten the 17 hour cut off – As the sport of triathlon continues to grow the field of athletes continues to get more competitive and faster. If the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) wants to keep the title of Ironman elite and is looking to attract people looking for that elite status, the cut off time needs to be reduced to reflect the accomplishment of today’s faster, stronger, and smarter athletes. One of the more popular suggestions for a new cut off time is somewhere between 13 and 15 hours. However, this seems to be an arbitrary number loosely based on a time that a large portion of Ironman competitors could achieve. A mathematical suggestion might be based on the percentage of difference between the first winning time and 17 hours and using that percentage to calculate a new cut off time. For example, the first Ironman winner, Gordon Haller, finished in just under 11 hours and 47 minutes. That winning time is about 75% of 17 hours. Today it is common for an Ironman winner to finish in under 8 hours and 30 minutes. If we apply the same formula to the approximate wining times in current Ironman events, the new cut off time would be 12 hours and 15 minutes!
2. Keep the 17 hour cut off – The WTC has a long standing tradition and format with the Ironman branded events that, for the most part, works pretty well. WTC has made Ironman a household name and marketed the sport of triathlon to the masses. Currently people are fighting to get a spot in one of their events and there is not a good reason to make any changes. The 17 hour limit makes the 140.6 distance obtainable for most people that put at least some training into preparing for the event.
3. Extend the 17 hour cut off – Extending the time is probably the least popular cut off argument. However, it is a fact that some people don’t make the 17 hour cut off. Many athletes are stopped, or choose to stop, during the race because of the discipline specific cut off times on the swim and bike. If the cut off times were extended, it would give more people the opportunity to participate and join the ranks of the Ironman family. It is hard to say how much time should be added to the cut off because it is not known how long it might take someone to finish beyond the current 17 hour cut off.
I am not advocating any of the above arguments. However, as the popularity of the sport increases and more 140.6 events are added, WTC and other Iron-distance event organizers may be forced to address the issue of cut off times.
