Which are the most "easy" Ironman to get slot to Kona?

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One more season we have received several messages to the writing of triathletes of age groups that ask us which races are more likely to get slot for Kona2018. In the following article we will try to solve those doubts that many readers have.  

The first thing to keep in mind is that It is very difficult to qualify because there are many triathletes who fight for it and very few places. The allocation of slots for each age group depends on the total number of finishers in each group regarding the total of triathletes that finish each Ironman. 

Always display minimum there is one slot per group, although in that group there is only one person who finishes the test. Also keep in mind that the time with which a triathlete is classified the following year may not be enough for it. We can make a simile with the entrance exams to the university, where the cut-off note each year varies according to the number of places and applicants.

For example in the Ironman of Lanzarote 2016 there were two slots in the male age group of 25-29 years, and the second slot was achieved with a time of 9: 35: 34. On the other hand, in 2017, that brand was only a reference. There were also two slots in that age group but the second classified to Kona invested a time of 9: 47: 54, that is to say that with this mark it would not have been able to be classified in 2016.

How many tests make up the classification calendar for Kona 2018?

The classification calendar for 2018 consists of 47 tests, the first was the last 27 of August in Vichy (France) and the last ones will be the 19 of August of 2017 in Cophenagen (Denmark) and Mont-Tremblant (Canada). Most Ironman have 40 slots but there are some special cases. There are 4 competitions that deliver 80 slots, are those corresponding to the continental championships South Africa, Texas (USA), Cairns (Australia) and Frankfurt (Germany).

On the other hand, it is necessary to quote four IM 70.3 that grant 30 slots, they are the IM 70.3 that are disputed in China (Chonqing, Hefei, Xiamen) besides the IM 70.3 of Hawaii (this one has 24 slots). Finally we must mention that there are some Ironmans with different number of slots to the cases named: Wales and Busselton (65 slots), Taiwan (27), Malaysia (50), Philippines and Norway (30)

In the next link (or click on the image) you can download the calendar with all the races and their slots for Kona 2018.

Are there Ironmans where it is more "easy" to get slot?

As a general rule There are some Ironmans that, due to their date on the calendar, getting a slot may be "easier", let's explain why.

Let's take the example of how to qualify for the Hawaii 2018 World Cup. On the one hand, there are first ironmans of the classification cycle (Vichy, Wisconsion, Wales, etc ...) that is to say those that are disputed between the end of August and the middle of October.

Why is it theoretically “easier” to qualify here? Because these are dates before Kona, therefore the best are preparing the Hawaii Ironman and obviously they would not contest one in the previous weeks. It is also true that they are tests chosen by some of the best age groups that in 2017 have decided not to run Kona and want to qualify for 2018 early.

The next period most likely to be able to get slots for Hawaii 2017 will be in the races that take place during the last weeks of July and those of the month of August (Mont-Tremblant, Copenhagen, Kalmar, Limburg, Tallinn, Hamburg ...) And why will it be easier to get slot in these races? The answer is because the best ggee on those dates should already be classified.

Obviously, the two periods that we have cited as "easy" must always keep in mind that it will also be very difficult to get the slot. We know cases of triathletes who have gone to compete in Kalmar in Sweden (end of August) who have done a great race ... but they were left without a slot because in the roll down nobody rejected their place.

We must also take into account the 4 ironmans that have 80 seats, by 40 of the vast majority of tests.

Another fact to keep in mind is that in the first edition of an Ironman in a new silk does not usually have as much participation as tests contrasted, so it increases the number of possibilities to get slot.

Does the number of triathletes of an Ironman influence the time to get slot?

Possibly the most important factor when it comes to cataloging a test as "easy" or difficult to get slot for Kona. For example in ironmans who haunt the 3.000 finishers like Barcelona, ​​Arizona, or Florida there are approximately one slot for each 74 triathletes that end the competition.

In contrast to other less crowded events such as Los Cabos (532 triathletes in goal) there was one slot for each 13 finishers. In IM Taiwan there were 696 finishers, which meant one slot for each 25.

And by sex? Are there competitions where there are more slots for men and women?

The answer is yes. Let's see the example of women and their percentage of participation with respect to men. In the ironmans of North America (Canada, USA and Mexico) the percentage of women is higher than the 25%, in the competitions of Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) round the 20% and in Europe is only 11%.

In the fourth block would be "rest of the world" (South America, Africa and Asia) and here the percentage is about 13%. So we see that in the Ironmans of North America and Oceania the percentage of women's participation is double that in the rest of the world, so in these races there will be more slots for them.

As far as men are concerned, on the contrary, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia are the areas in which the number of slots for them is greater.

Hopefully this article has served a bit to resolve the doubts of some readers and learn a little more about the classification system for the Ironman World Cup.

Bibliography: tritraining.com 

Photo: Ironman.com