2024 IRONMAN Racing: A Statistical Analysis of Full and Half Distance Events
The 2024 IRONMAN racing season has provided fascinating insights into participation patterns and race completion rates across both full and half-distance events worldwide. This analysis excludes the Vitoria Gasteiz race data, as it was a professional-only event.
Full Distance Events
Participation trends in full-distance races revealed interesting geographical patterns. The European and North American races dominated the highest registration numbers, with IRONMAN Barcelona leading at 2,992 registered athletes, followed by IRONMAN Austria with 2,857 participants, and IRONMAN California drawing 2,651 competitors. In contrast, Asian races saw lower registration numbers, with IRONMAN Philippines recording 383 registrants, Malaysia attracting 574 athletes, and Gurye bringing in 715 participants.
Female participation showed significant variation across different regions. Several North American races demonstrated stronger gender diversity, with Chattanooga, Maryland, Cozumel, and Lake Placid each achieving 26% female participation. However, some races struggled to attract female athletes, with Philippines recording only 6% female participation, Nice at 9%, and South Hokkaido, Frankfurt, and Brazil each at 11%.
Race completion statistics revealed challenging conditions at certain venues. IRONMAN Wales proved particularly demanding with a 24.3% Did Not Finish (DNF) rate, while Malaysia saw 21.5% of athletes unable to complete the course, and Cozumel recorded a 12.2% DNF rate. Did Not Start (DNS) rates were highest in Gurye at 18.0%, followed by Tallinn at 15.2%, and Cozumel at 14.0%. Disqualifications were most prevalent in Gurye (1.9%), Cascais (1.0%), and Frankfurt (0.7%). Non-Classification (NC) rates peaked in Wisconsin at 1.4%, followed by Maryland at 1.1%, and Japan South Hokkaido at 0.9%.
Half Distance Events
Half Distance Events
The 70.3 series demonstrated different participation patterns. North American and European venues dominated registration numbers, with Chattanooga leading at 3,418 registrants, followed by Alcudia with 3,098, and Oceanside drawing 2,822 athletes. Emerging race locations saw lower numbers, with Rwanda attracting 126 participants, Salalah recording 344 registrants, and Subic Bay bringing in 491 athletes.
Female participation in half-distance events generally exceeded full-distance rates. Oregon led with an impressive 39% female participation, followed by Musselman at 37%, and both Washington Tri Cities and New Zealand 70.3 at 36%. Lower female participation was observed in Goa (10%), Goseong (11%), and Tangier (12%).
Race day statistics revealed varying challenges across venues. Morro Bay experienced the highest DNF rate at 24.6%, with Lapu Lapu and Belgrade both recording 21.7%, and Mossel Bay at 18.9%. DNS rates were particularly high in Salalah (26.2%), Acapulco (24.3%), and Hawaii (22.3%). Disqualification rates peaked in Pucon at 5.8%, followed by Rio de Janeiro at 3.1%, and Sao Paulo at 3.0%. Notable NC rates were recorded in Ecuador (8.4%), Pennsylvania (5.8%), and Lapu Lapu (3.7%).
This comprehensive analysis demonstrates the global reach of IRONMAN racing while highlighting regional variations in participation, gender diversity, and race day completion rates. The data suggests that established races in Europe and North America continue to draw larger fields, while emerging markets are gradually building their participant bases. Weather conditions, course difficulty, and local triathlon culture appear to influence completion rates significantly across both distances.