Abstract
We investigated the nation related participation and performance trends in triathletes competing in ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ between 2006 and 2014 using mixed models, one-way analysis of variance and multi-variate regression analyses. A total of 1594 athletes (139 women and 1455 men) originating from 34 different countries finished the race. Most of the athletes originated from Norway, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, USA and France. In the mixed model analysis considering all finishers (n = 1594), with calendar year, sex and country as independent and overall race time as dependent variable, calendar year (p < 0.0001), sex (p < 0.0001), country (p < 0.0001) and the interaction sex × calendar year (p = 0.012) were significant. In the model where overall race time was separated in the three disciplines, we found interactions such as country × discipline (p < 0.0001), year × discipline (p < 0.0001), sex × discipline (p < 0.0001), calendar year × sex (p = 0.044), calendar year × sex × discipline (p = 0.031). Overall race time decreased every year, above all in the year 2012. Women were slower than men, but women reduced this gender gap year after year and above all in the year 2007 (p = 0.001). Athletes from Norway and Germany were faster than those from Great Britain and other countries. Split times of the discipline decreased throughout the years. In particular, the discipline having more impact on overall race time was cycling. Most of the podiums were achieved by Norwegian women and men. For women, the fastest split and transition times were achieved by Norwegian women with exception of the run where German women were faster. Norwegian men were the fastest in split and transition times although French athletes were the fastest in swimming. Across years, the annual three fastest Norwegian women improved in cycling, running, overall race time and transition times but not Norwegian and German men. British men, however, improved running split times and transition times. To summarize, most of the finishers in ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ originated from Norway and the fastest race times were achieved by Norwegian women and men. Norwegian women improved race times across years but not Norwegian men.
Highlights
Ultra-distance triathlon is of increasing popularity (Knechtle et al 2011; Lepers 2008; Meili et al 2013)
In the model in which overall race time was decomposed in the split times of the three disciplines, we found that interactions such as country × discipline (p < 0.0001), year × discipline (p < 0.0001), sex × discipline (p < 0.0001), calendar year × sex
Sex Code = 1 is female, Sex Code = 2 is male after rescaling the year and using the percentiles), calendar year × sex × discipline (p = 0.031 in the model with the top country and p = 0.009 after rescaling the year and using the percentiles; p = 0.042 in the model with the three top countries and p = 0.012 after rescaling the year and using the percentiles), were statistically significant
Summary
Ultra-distance triathlon is of increasing popularity (Knechtle et al 2011; Lepers 2008; Meili et al 2013). In 2003, ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ was held for the first time in Norway (Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2015). To ‘Ironman Hawaii’, the ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ is considered as one of the toughest races in the world (Triathlon Informer 2014). In contrast to the heat and the wind in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ athletes suffer in ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ from the cold (Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2015). On race day in ‘Ironman Hawaii’, water temperature is expected at ~26–27 °C. In contrast to ‘Ironman Hawaii’, water temperature in ‘Norseman Xtreme Triathlon’ is at ~15.5–17.5 °C, air temperature on the cycling split at ~5–20 °C, and air temperature on the running split at ~12–28 °C. At the finish at Mountain Gaustatoppen, the air temperature is at ~2–12 °C (Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2015)
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