Abstract
This study intended to compare the performance of ultra-triathletes competing in a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon (i.e. 10 times 3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling, and 42.2 km running) with the performance of athletes competing in a Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathlon (i.e. 30 times 3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling, and 42.2 km running). Split and overall race times of six male finishers in a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon and eight male finishers in a Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathlon were analysed using multiple t-tests, linear and non-linear regression analyses, and analysis of variance. Among the 19 starters (i.e. 17 men and two women) in the Deca Iron ultra-triathlon, six men (i.e. 35.3% of all starters) finished the race. The mean swimming, cycling, running and overall race times of the six finishers across the ten days were 1:19 ± 0:09 h:min, 6:36 ± 0:19 h:min, 6:03 ± 0:47 h:min and 14:44 ± 1:17 h:min, respectively. The times of the split disciplines and overall race time increased linearly across the ten days. Total transition times did not change significantly across the days and were equals to 48 ± 8 min. Among the 22 starters (i.e. 20 men and two women) in the Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathlon, eight men (i.e. 36.4% of all starters) finished. The mean swimming, cycling, running and overall race times of the eight finishers across the 30 days were 1:11 ± 0:07 h:min, 6:19 ± 0:32 h:min, 5:34 ± 1:15 h:min and 13:44 ± 1:50 h:min, respectively. Split and overall race times showed no change across the 30 days. Total transition times showed no change across the days and were equal to 41 ± 11 min. To summarize, the daily performance decreased across the ten days for the Deca Iron ultra-triathletes (i.e. positive pacing) while it remained unchanged across the 30 days for the Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathletes (i.e. even pacing).
Highlights
Ultra-endurance performance is defined as any endurance performance of six hours or longer in duration (Zaryski and Smith 2005)
An Ironman triathlon covering 3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km running with the fastest winner times of ~8 hrs has to be considered as an ultra-endurance performance (Lepers 2008)
When the mean absolute performances of the ten days in the Deca Iron ultra-triathletes were compared to the performances on Day 1–10, Day 11–20 and Day 21–30 of the Triple Iron ultra-triathletes, the Deca Iron ultra-triathletes were slower in swimming, cycling and running compared to the specific segments of the Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathlon race
Summary
Ultra-endurance performance is defined as any endurance performance of six hours or longer in duration (Zaryski and Smith 2005). In a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon - where each day an Ironman triathlon has to be finished for ten consecutive days performance decreased with increasing duration of the. Since the first edition of a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon in 2006 (Knechtle et al 2008a), several races of this kind have been held mainly in Monterrey, Mexico (Herbst et al 2011; Knechtle et al 2012a). In autumn 2013, ultraendurance triathletes in Lonato des Garda, Italy, intended to go for new limits by organizing a Triple Deca Iron ultratriathlon, where the athletes had to finish each day an Ironman triathlon for 30 consecutive days. A second group of athletes competed in a separate Deca Iron ultra-triathlon to finish ten Ironman triathlons within ten consecutive days
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