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Ironman Triathlon Questions

15 Ironman Triathlon Questions Answered For the Novice Triathlete

Since Ironman has seen massive growth in the distance it is no surprise people are asking a bunch of questions. Most of the questions range from “How long is an Ironman” to, What is the hardest Ironman in the world? and What are the Ironman distances?

However, for the novice triathlete, many more questions need to be answered. These can range from “Can you do Ironman in a team? through to “Where can you do an Ironman”.

In this article, we answer 15 of the top asked Ironman questions. This can help you understand more about the event that is making waves around the world. So keep reading to learn more.

Top 10 Most Asked Ironman Triathlon Questions

Can you do an Ironman with a mountain bike?
Absolutely! However, doing an Ironman triathlon on a mountain will be much harder than a triathlon or road bike. If you decide to do an Ironman on a mountain bike, make sure you change out the nobbly tires for some slick road tires.

Can You Do An Ironman On A Road Bike?
While most people purchase a triathlon or time trial bike to complete the event, many people use a road bike as well. Choosing a road bike is wise for someone new to the sport, and by adding aero bars, you can make the road bike perform just as fast as a triathlon bike.

What Age Can You Do An Ironman?
You need to be 18 years or older to register for an Ironman. The first age category for both males and females starts at 18-24. Knowing this, the youngest competitor that has won an event (Ironman UK 2009) was Philip Graves who is a British triathlete at age 20.

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Can You Do An Ironman Without Training?
While not recommended, if you have a decent amount of fitness it is possible to do an Ironman without training. Generally, people that have a background in sport are more likely to finish than someone that has never exercised before. However, if you are planning to do an Ironman without training, be careful as doing so may cause an injury.

Where Can You Do An Ironman?
There are more than 150 Ironman races in the World. These are spread throughout more than 50 countries, regions, and territories. You can see all available events on the Ironman.com website.

Where Can You Do An Ironman?

Can You Do An Ironman While Pregnant?
Doing an Ironman while pregnant is certainly not recommended. Even though exercise is important before, after, and during pregnancy, doing a long-distance triathlon may put too much stress on the body.

Can You Do Ironman as a Team?
Currently, it is not possible to do an Ironman branded event as a team. The Ironman triathlon event is geared more towards an individual.

How Many Ironmans Can You Do In A Year?
For most people 1-2 Ironmans a year is enough. This will allow adequate time to build up to each event and provide you with enough recovery between each event. For more experienced triathletes 3 is on the upper range and it is usually the most any professional will do in a season. However, there are some exceptions.

How Far Is Ironman Triathlon?
The distance of an Ironman triathlon is a 2.4mile (3.8km) swim, 112mile (180km) bike, and 26.2mile (42.2km) run.

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What is the Fastest Ironman Triathlon Time?
Kristian Blummenfelt currently holds the world record for the fastest Ironman time (Ironman Cozumel). He completed the event in 7:21:12, and his splits were 39:41 (3.8km Swim) 4:02:40 (180km Bike), and a 2:35:24 marathon.

Ironman Bike Questions

Five More Ironman Questions You Might Want to Know

Most beginner triathletes doing an Ironman for the first time often have multiple questions. Below are five more questions and answers that aren’t usually covered.

What is the Ironman Cut-Off Times?
Most Ironman events have a total cut-off time of 17 hours or midnight. However, each discipline also has a cut-off time. The swim is limited to 2 hours 20 minutes, the bike around 10 hours 30 minutes, and the marathon needs to be completed before the overall cut-off time.

Do You Have to Wear A Wetsuit During an Ironman Swim?
Wetsuits have to be worn in water temperature that is below 16°C/60.8°F. However, if the water temperature is greater than 24.5°C/76.1°F, wetsuits are prohibited.

Do You Need To Wear A Helmet During The Ironman Bike Leg?
Since triathlons use the open road it is required for all participants to wear a helmet during race day and during practice on the course.

Can You Use Fins in Ironman?
Fins, gloves, buoys, or anything that provides propulsion during the swim leg is currently banned by Ironman. However, googles are 100% optional for athletes to use.

How Much Does A Wetsuit Help In An Ironman?
Wearing a wetsuit during the Ironman swim will help you ride higher on the water. It will also help decrease resistance and allow you to swim faster with less effort. Some people believe that wearing a wetsuit can help you swim as much as 25% better.

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Final Thoughts

While there are many more questions you may want to be answered. The above questions will set you in the right direction when completing the event for the first time. However, if you are still unsure about something, reach out to a triathlon coach or Ironman.com they can both help guide you in the right direction.

Remember with most triathlon events, rules can change so do some research before doing the event. Reading the rules and regulations of an Ironman triathlon may also help answer some of the questions you may have.

Ironman is a hard event but a rewarding one. As long as you put in the time and effort into the training, you will be able to finish the event without any major issues. If you are unsure about how to train for an Ironman SportCoaching provides many training plans as well as customized coaching for all levels of triathletes.

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