Did not see that coming.
Long distance is awesome in a group, mental torture solo. I would love a couple of runners on my pace for long runs and race day.
Kat Matthews 
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Fantastic. And Spirig just behind.
2h30 for Blu 2h36 run for skipper. Perfect
Somehow Blu did what was expected of him but Joe Skipper… one weeks notice and 6 weeks post COVID, a 2:36 off the 3:16 ride…if he could swim he’d be quite quick 
Superb from both of them
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In the meantime, in an actual race, Laura Philipp goes 8:18 @ IMEU championships.
Wow.
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Ha ha, wrong day for it Laura. But well done obvs.
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Was there another race today?
Pretty special though, almost quicker than Chrissie Wellington.
Really some remarkable times. Super impressed by Skipper performing so well after getting drafted into this so late in the game.
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So, let start the comparisons to a sub 2 marathon.
I think, what was accomplished today will never be accomplished outside of a controlled race like this. The swims and the run were basically on par with other races, maybe a bit faster with pacers but nothing earth shattering.
Now, the bike. The speed was insane.for both men and women. There is 0 chance anyone will ever have the same kind of protection during an open race. It’s just not safe.
While i think this was a huge accomplishment for all athletes involved, i really think the sub 2 marathon was more impressive…
What is his max heart rate?
I have to say I really enjoyed the coverage for this. Obviously way better than anything IM ever puts out, but contrary to my expectations I found the smaller pool of athletes to be kind of cool- felt like it was more personal/in-depth than you usually see in LC tri events, which I think is a strength of formats like this and the tri battle. Comparisons aside, I think they have a lot of their own merits. Absolutely fantastic effort by all the athletes in their own right, and all the more interested in seeing most of them at Kona this year. 
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I don’t know, and I know it’s all relative, but those elites and Pros are unbelievably cardio-fit.
150 is like my Ironman bike HR and I…have less Pro characteristics than Joe does. 
And for those triathletes and budding triathletes out there:
If Joe could swim, he would have won.
Don’t neglect the swim!
It would have been cool to have LCB or Ali in there for the swim. I think some faster/more aggressive swimmers could make for some interesting tactics…not exactly the most exciting leg as it were. 
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Thanks for that. Just finished the coverage now but can’t open Strava yet as TR is split screening my phone. Very keen to look at some power files. Those boys were honking!
PLUS It was interesting
MINUS but in no small part due to the novelty of the event
PLUS team aspect, great
MINUS won’t really be repeated (for good reason)
PLUS I partly bought the “testing the limits of human ability” narrative
MINUS But only partly, as non-drafting times are a very poor benchmark
PLUS I did watch it
MINUS But can’t imagine sitting through the entire thing; switched the youtube video on after the event and kept fast-forwarding to get me a customized “highlight reel” of about 90 minutes in total.
I watched some of it too, but I found the commentary annoying and the filming not great. Watched bits of the swim, the transitions, and then bits of the bike. Got bored before the run.
Maybe that was just me, I was interested in watching the teams rotation tactics and pull durations, but that was hard to see because they kept filming the riders sitting at the back (I know it was about them, but they didn’t do anything). I’d have also like more overview shots to get a sense of distances etc.
I think what the event showed though was what an enormouse benefit drafting is.
I’d definetly agree that the ‘record breaking’ hook has very limited shelf life beyond novelty/marketing, but there’s some elements I would love to see find their own niche- the team aspect being one, but also the match racing/one on one format. IMO getting more familiar with individual athletes could potentially have a broader viewer appeal- sort of how fans of more ‘mainstream’ sports are often as invested in a specific team as they are with the game itself. Can only speak for myself but I’m probably more likely to follow these athletes in other events as a result of this one, and I think their sponsors got way more coverage than usual.
Absolutely doesn’t replace traditional racing, but I think these sorts of things can add a lot of depth and interest if they’re viewed on their own merits rather than always being considered as a comparison or challenge to the integrity of long-course racing.
Also the “pushing the limits of the impossible” stuff kept making me think of a generic-brand IM slogan, lol.
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It’s made me wonder about TTT triathlon. 3 or 4 person teams across SBR could be a great format
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