Looks like we have WTC's response to the wetsuit vs non-wetsuit mass start issue
That was a hot topic issue last year after IMTX and IMLP where there was a mix of wetsuit vs non-wetsuit folks. 1/3 wore wetsuits at IMTX and 2/3 wore wetsuits at IMLP which caused much consternation for the folks not wearing wetsuits.
IMTX participants received an email today stating wetsuit wearers will start 10 minutes after the mass start (assuming the lake temp falls in that 76.1-84 degree range). Obviously not eligible for awards and Kona slots. Their timing chips will start accordingly but they will still be subject to the midnight cutoff. So wetsuit folks will have 16:50 to finish instead of 17:00.
I think that helps the initial fray but a lot of wetsuit folks are still going to catch the non-wetsuit folks towards the end of the swim... and the last 1000m of IMTX swim is in a very narrow canal. It's still going to be congested and people are still going to bitch about it.
It should be 15-20 minutes.
Comments
The other half of the equation is training race officials as to which swimskins are actually WTC legal. They spent way too much time looking at a printout of the rules and judging each skin as they encountered it.
There's no penalty besides the 10 minutes less to finish the race. It's not like they're adding 10 minutes to their time. There will be two chip starts starting from different corrals. Same as last year but with the 10 minute delay.
If you're in the middle of the race, how do you know if someone is competing for AG awards or Kona slot - different letters on the calf or something? That, to me, would be the bigger issue than crowding during the swim, which is par for the course at an IM - 2500-3000 people all trying to be in the same spot at the same time.
My take is: if it's too warm for a wetsuit, it's too warm for a wetsuit. No excuses, unless you are 70+, in line with the rule @ Kona, where 70+ competitors can wear a wetsuit, while not competing for AG awards. So there's literally less than a handful involved. Wearing a wertsuit when the temp is over 76 is risking overheating. Tim DeBoom once passed out @ IM Oz in 72F water wearing a wetsuit.
Maybe they just ought to have two different events: one for people who want to race, and one for people who want to participate/finish. The second group could draft, wear wetsuits, whatever. Would make officiating a whole lot easier?
Let me comment on each of your paragraphs...
1. I can see how knowing who is who is important for you. You're always in the hunt in your AG. The reality is only 2% are going to get Kona slots and maybe another 5% have a legit shot on any given Saturday or Sunday. That means 90-something percent of people are participating and there to challenge themselves. Your concern is probably not shared by the masses. You're in an AG with a much smaller number of people. I'm in the M40-44 AG which is the largest group with numbers over 400 at any given IM. There's no way someone in my AG knows where they rank in a race unless they have a spotter giving them IM Live updates. I also always skip body marking so how do you account for people like me? What about people wearing compression calf sleeves? Can't really tell what AG they're in either.
2. Wetsuits and water temps affect people differently. I did IMTX in a wetsuit last year at 79 degrees and it was no big deal. I didn't hear one complaint that anyone felt too warm. Maybe a full wetsuit might have been too much but I felt fine in a sleeveless. I still wish I hadn't worn one. I won't get into that here but it's in my race report from last year as to why.
3. Don't they already do that?
I think this is a bad idea. I would hate to be any 1:10+ IM non wetusuit swimmer who is going to get caught by the thousands in the wetsuit pack in the narrow canal. Effectively this rule change may worsen the problem they are trying to fix. I did IMTX last year, and got bumped around some in the first 400meters (like any other IM or HIM i've done) but after that it was pretty clear water as people settled in. I can imagine T1 being a fiasco as a few thousand people may be getting there within 10-15 of each other - very little separation. Yuck!
I bet they will use this at IMLP if they have non-wetsuit conditions again. After this trial run, they can go to a 15 or 20 min delay in future races if necessary. And it's not like the 17 hour cut-off is sancrosanct. IMRG only allows 16 hours to finish, and IM Germany allows only 15 hours. It just means those who expect to barely finish should not choose one of the races with a shorter cutoff.
Al's point is an interesting one. However, since the non-wetsuit swimmers start second, you will not go wrong by beating anyone by 1 second...what you might do though is waste your effort too early in the race trying to beat someone ineligible.