Ironman Lake Tahoe Sees 20% DNF Rate
The inaugural Ironman Lake Tahoe was even tougher then athletes were expecting.
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The inaugural Ironman Lake Tahoe was even tougher then athletes were expecting, with brutal weather conditions adding to the challenge of an already-tough course. The day before the race featured windy and freezing conditions, with snow falling at the end of the day. While it didn’t snow on race day, it was especially chilly with temperatures in the 30’s when athletes jumped into the water at Kings Beach.
Did the tough weather and course lead to slower finish times and a higher DNF rate? According to Raymond Britt at Runtri.com they did. The average finish time was 14 hours and 6 minutes, with 20% of athletes not completing the race.
PHOTOS: 2013 Ironman Lake Tahoe
2013 Ironman Lake Tahoe Fast Facts
Registered Entrants: 2700+
Did Not Start: 565 (21%)
Finishers: 1,719
DNF of Race Starters: 20+%; DNF on Bike: 267 (12%); DNF on Run: 182 (8%)
So how do these numbers compare to other tough Ironmans in history? The DNF rate does not quite meet the 29% rate that Ironman St. George saw on a particularly tough day in 2012.
Britt points out that, in several cases, Ironmans see high DNF rates in one year and normal rates in other years, meaning that this may be an anomaly for Ironman Lake Tahoe. As a first-year race, there is nothing to compare it to.
See the complete statistics and analysis at Runtri.com.