A release over the weekend from Ironman has heralded some major changes in the pipeline. A new pro prize purse structure has been announced for 2015, alongside new regional championships in the Americas in 2015 and the incorporation of a new staged swim start at the Ironman World Championship 2014 in Kona, Hawaii.
Ironman brand owner World Triathlon Corp (WTC) notes that this season the iconic Ironman Series has attracted more than 200,000 registered athletes from 188 countries. With the addition of 24 new Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races in 2014 and additional new races in 2015, Ironman has grown to include over 110 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races spanning six continents and 27 countries.
With this rapid growth, Ironman has confirmed the three major changes to take place – one for the Ironman World Championship presented by GoPro taking place this October and two additional changes that will follow for the 2015 race season.
2015 pro prize purse structure
In 2015, Ironman will have a total professional prize payout of over US$5 million – which WTC notes is an increase on 2014.
Debuting next year, Ironman will be shifting the Professional Prize Purse structure in the Americas at select Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races designated for professional competition. All other races will be age-group competition only. WTC notes that this change will feature the following enhancements:
- ‘Fewer focused professional races creating bigger prize purses in those races’
- ‘All Championship races will pay first through tenth’
- ‘A meaningful and regionally fair schedule that promotes more head-to-head competition between top professional athletes’
- ‘Improved sequencing of events with consideration of the World Championship’
“This is a philosophical and concentrated move to provide our professional athletes with a competitive calendar and to help build rivalry and competition while generating excitement around the races,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer for Ironman. “This has been an important change that we have been working towards for the past six months.”
Further details of the professional schedule can be found online.
Regional Championships in 2015
Also debuting in 2015 will be changes and additions to regional championship events including the following:
- Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas on 16 May 2015 will become the Memorial Hermann Ironman North American Championship – Texas after two successful years in Mont-Tremblant
- Ironman Brazil on 31 May 2015 will become the Ironman Latin American Championship – Florianopolis
Both of these races will be a P-4000 race – each offering a $150,000 professional prize purse
In addition, the following will continue to be regional championships in 2015
- Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship – Melbourne
- Ironman European Championship – Frankfurt
- Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship – Auckland
- Sparkasse Finanzgruppe Ironman 70.3 European Championship – Wiesbaden
- Samsung Galaxy Ironman 70.3 Latin American Pro Championship – Panama
- Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championship – St. George
Beginning in 2015, each Ironman regional championship will offer a US$150,000 prize purse to male and female professionals, which will be distributed amongst the first through tenth place finishers. Ironman 70.3 regional championships will offer male and female professional purses varying from US$75,000-US$100,000, which will be distributed amongst the first through tenth place finishers.
In addition, all professional winners of Ironman and Ironman 70.3 regional championship races will receive automatic qualification to the respective Ironman World Championship or Ironman 70.3 World Championship races.
Ironman World Championship swim start
For the first time ever, the age group athlete field will have two separate starts at the Ironman World Championship presented by GoPro. The men’s age group race in Kona, Hawaii, will begin at 06:50 local time, with the women’s age group race starting 10 minutes later at 07:00. The professional men’s field will start at 06:25, with the professional women beginning at 06:30.
“We are always looking for ways to improve our event and this change is the next progression, given how competitive the athlete field is at the starting line in Kailua-Kona,” said Diana Bertsch, Vice President, Ironman World Championship Events.
The decision to split the age group field was made following a thorough analysis of participant data and with the goal to reduce athlete density coming out of the water and on the bike course and to give female age group athletes their own swim start.
The new start times will not change the existing cut off standards for the Ironman World Championship – 2:20 for the swim and 10:30 for the bike. Athletes will also still have to reach the finish line within 17 hours to be official finishers of the race.
“The Ironman World Championship is the pinnacle of endurance events and all of our athletes deserve the highest quality race possible as they compete for top honour in our sport,” added Bertsch. “Our hope is that this new swim start will further enhance the quality of the race for all of our competitors.”
New Kona start times:
06:25 Pro Men
06:30 Pro Women
06:50 Age Group Men
07:00 Age Group Women
