First order of business, I needed to find a race and officially register. My friend Rebecca did most of the searching and found us a few good options.
Some things we considered when choosing our race location:
- Timeline – being completely new to swimming and biking we decided we would need something that is a solid 6 months away.
- Ocean or lake swim?
- Popular shark location? (Can’t be worrying about sharks in addition to drowning during the open water swim)
- Difficulty of overall course (especially for us newbies)
- Road or trail run – I was not down for a 13 mile trail run to finish the race, so a trail run race was an absolute deal breaker.
We decided on Galveston, Texas for our race. I officially signed up on 9/19/2023.
The sticker shock started then and has continued on since… The entry fee is $359.00.
Ironman Race Rules:
Swim:
- Swim caps are mandatory.
- Goggles are allowed.
- No snorkels, fins, or pull buoys.
- Wetsuits may be worn in water temperatures up to 24C/76.1F.
- Participants may use buoys and kayaks if needed for rest, but cannot gain any forward movement while using aids or participant will be disqualified.
- Headphones are prohibited during the bike portion of the race.
Bike:
- No electric bikes, this should be a no-brainer but just in case you weren’t sure.
- Helmets must be worn at all times while riding the bike.
- Drafting during the race is prohibited. (Drafting means to remain in the “draft zone” of another athlete for >25 seconds)
- Headphones are prohibited during the bike portion of the race.
Run:
- Athletes may run, walk, or crawl.
- Headphones are prohibited during the run portion of the race.
There is a time cut-off for the Half Ironman race. The entire race must be completed in 8 hours and 30 minutes. Each portion has a set cut-off time as well. The swim must be completed in 1 hours and ten minutes. The bike ride must be completed in 4 hours and 20 minutes. The run must be completed in 3 hours.
For the complete rules check out https://www.ironman.com/competition-rules
