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IM Mallorca

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    #32
    zico10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,839 ✭✭✭zico10


    Fazz wrote: »
    Rumour has it that it may not be returning allegedly so don't count on it.

    Likely too close and taking athletes from Barcelona or vice versa.

    Or just not making the money of others or as required.

    Barcelona has sold out for the last three years though. Even if IM Mallorca is taking athletes from there, it wouldn't matter. Numbers were down in Mallorca this year and I find it odd that it attracts more British participants than Spanish, but at the same time it still had over 2,000 people registered. That's not a sign of a race that's struggling. IM Mallorca is just a hard sell when there's a far faster course and a much better chance of getting a PB the following week. It's this that attracts the masses and the best thing that could happen IM Mallorca would be if IM Barcelona was changed to be a harder course.
    You might remember Mallorca couldn't confirm the date for their 2015 race until a month or two after the 2014 edition. It turned out to be the exact same weekend in September in the end. It seems to me to have huge buy in from the locals. There wouldn't be much else going on in Alcudia that weekend if it weren't for the IM, so I imagine all businesses there would want to see it back. I'm guessing the only issue is whether the race goes ahead on a Saturday or Sunday.


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    #33
    Pmaldini
    Registered Users Posts: 375 ✭✭Pmaldini


    Bawnmore_Ent. wrote: »
    Looking on Challenges website. Amsterdam 9th September???

    Amsterdam is a nice race, road surface is mostly good, the big obstacle is the wind, we were battered last year, nice run around the lake if you dont mind 6 x 7k laps, CPH is also a great race, late august normally, going to stay closer to home myself this year, signed up for the Hardman, great early bird value at the mo!


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    #34
    griffin100
    Registered Users Posts: 4,828 ✭✭✭griffin100


    Pmaldini wrote: »
    Amsterdam is a nice race, road surface is mostly good, the big obstacle is the wind, we were battered last year, nice run around the lake if you dont mind 6 x 7k laps, CPH is also a great race, late august normally, going to stay closer to home myself this year, signed up for the Hardman, great early bird value at the mo!

    Hard to turn down a €150 Ironman.


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    #35
    Bawnmore_Ent.
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭Bawnmore_Ent.


    zico10 wrote:
    Numbers were down in Mallorca this year and I find it odd that it attracts more British participants than Spanish, but at the same time it still had over 2,000 people registered.

    In Barcelona there 500 odd from UK, 300 odd from Spain and 220 or so from Ireland.
    I imagine people won't do same IM every year, always going to be a demand for late season races in lovely warm water.


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    #36
    peter kern
    Registered Users Posts: 3,359 ✭✭✭peter kern


    this is intersting
    i think there would be an easy solution to it switch them around and maybe have mallorca even the week after kona or the kona weekend ?
    the reason mallorca dosnt sell out is the water temp and if you give it one or 2 more weeks the water temp would drop a bit as end of sep is usually start of rain season in that part of the world

    and natuarlly its more a german and brit race after all its called the 17th state of germany ;-) its just as hard to get there from spain than from germany france uk ( 200 mil inhabitants) than spain with some 45 mil habitants .
    Fazz wrote: »
    Rumour has it that it may not be returning allegedly so don't count on it.

    Likely too close and taking athletes from Barcelona or vice versa.

    Or just not making the money of others or as required.

    Barcelona likely your only late euro IM.
    Off to the states with you otherwise for Florida, Arianna, Maryland or similar.


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    #37
    zico10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,839 ✭✭✭zico10


    peter kern wrote: »
    this is intersting
    i think there would be an easy solution to it switch them around and maybe have mallorca even the week after kona or the kona weekend ?
    the reason mallorca dosnt sell out is the water temp and if you give it one or 2 more weeks the water temp would drop a bit as end of sep is usually start of rain season in that part of the world

    and natuarlly its more a german and brit race after all its called the 17th state of germany ;-) its just as hard to get there from spain than from germany france uk ( 200 mil inhabitants) than spain with some 45 mil habitants .

    I think the water temp has very little to do with the race not selling out. Despite temps being borderline for the last two years, both swims were still wetsuit legal in the end. I'd say anybody signing up, does so in the expectation that wetsuits will be allowed.

    IM Austria have often banned wetsuits, but the decision has never affected the popularity of the following year's race. It's a fast course and that's what most people want. It's why Barcelona is such a draw, where wetsuits are just as likely to be banned as Mallorca. IMHO, the reason Mallorca doesn't sell out is because there's a mountain after 110km.

    I accept what you say about the difficulties in getting there from the Spanish mainland. But I also wonder is taking a chance on the weather, one most Spaniards aren't willing to take. I've been there for three years in a row and there have been thunderous downpours every time. I was lucky in 2014 and 2015 because the rain never fell on race day. This year, the thunderstorms just so happened to strike on the day of the race. But given the weather patterns for that time of year, I wasn't surprised. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't surprised.

    As an add-on, how Ironman handled the issue of wetsuits this year was an absolute farce. We were told at the briefing the day before the race, that they wouldn't be allowed. Then, many people in a panic rushed to buy speed suits off Arena, the official swim partners of WTC. If one was a cynic, then you'd be inclined to question Ironman's motives.
    At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the race, the decision on wetsuits was reversed. By this stage, people had travelled into Alcudia without wetsuits and for many there was no time to go back to their lodgings and get them. I was lucky, as I was staying very close to the race start and one of the guys I was staying with had gone down ahead of me and heard the announcement. He was able to come back to the apartment to get his wetsuit and let us know as well. Lots of people weren't so lucky and were put at a significant disadvantage, because of a decision that for a second year in a row was taken to ensure 'anything (was) possible' for under prepared athletes.


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