In an effort to increase the cachet and add an indirect revenue stream to its fledgling virtual racing offering, Ironman has dangled the carrot of qualifying for the yet-to-be-rescheduled Ironman 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand.
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It’s the latest initiative from the race organiser that has witnessed tens of thousands of triathletes sign up to compete or complete its free weekly virtual challenges on either the turbo and treadmill or by uploading data files.
As part of its Ironman Virtual Club, slots to the postponed 70.3 World Championship in Taupo can now be won through a four-race duathlon series – comprising one 70.3 distance and three standard-distance race formats – with points weighted towards the longer distance. For the 70.3, a 5km run replaces the 1.9km swim. A 3km run starts the shorter event.
The Championship Series kicks off with its VR10 challenge this weekend (5-7 June), with each event having to be completed within a 12-hour period and the top three results counting. It’s free to take part, but while it might add a welcome incentive for many triathletes, it also raises yet more questions over the veracity of virtual racing that can be largely brushed aside when it’s just for fun.
Launched in partnership with training set-up Rouvy, Ironman VR was announced on 1 April and was no April Fool – although if you were to put too much faith in the results you might be taken for one. It was hastily and understandably rolled out in reaction to Ironman’s Covid-related quandary. After all, few industries are hit harder by a pandemic than global events organisers. Timing for its cash flow running dry could hardly have been worse. Ironman was already facing legal proceedings from investors over a disappointing share flotation, and was on the cusp of pushing through an agreed sale to new owners.
Ironman does deserve credit for acting swiftly, though, and all too aware of potential for result manipulation, the organiser is now ratcheting down and set to introduce new rules that will weed out eyebrow-raising performances and attempt to give virtual reality racing increased credibility.
It’s already split its offering into Classic and Challenge divisions, the latter for the more serious contenders and the one that will be used for Ironman 70.3 Worlds qualification. In this class, cycling is restricted to the stationary bike on Rouvy (not on the road), with runs conversely having to be completed outdoors (not on a treadmill).
Without losing ourselves in the weeds of this, Ironman CEO Andrew Messick has pledged to imminently release updated rules including pulling together an ‘e-racing bio athlete passport’ that will provide a holistic look at individual race performances and assess if any mistakes (aka cheating) has taken place. The forensics mean results won’t be posted until the Tuesday following the weekend’s racing.
Ironman is trying a fail-fast policy and prepared to make tweaks as it goes. If it doesn’t pass muster for the community, Messick says his instinct will be to “shut it down”, the chief exec being well aware opinions remain divided about whether virtual racing has any compatibility with the traditional side of the sport.
Certainly, many professionals, while embracing the concept of virtual racing with Ironman or the popular pro Zwift races, have been at pains to point out it shouldn’t be seen as a proxy for regular racing. The Professional Triathlon Organisation recently pulled back from attempting the 2020 Collins Cup in a virtual format on Zwift.