For the Data-Hungry: 2017 IRONMAN® World Championship Interactive Quarq Qollector Pacing Analysis

From Training Peaks
The tape has long been broken, the champagne sprayed and champions crowned at the 2017 IRONMAN® World Championship, but for the first time we have in-depth access to data that paints a new and dynamic picture of the day.
What we saw on the live broadcast on October 14 didn’t fully capture the strategies and pacing that played out on course on a day that resulted in a new course record and several new names making the podium for the first time in both the women’s and men’s professional races.
With the help of the Quarq and their Quarq Qollector, IRONMAN’s® Live Pro Race Tracking Partner, we were able to analyze real-time data, which we shared for various athletes live during the race through the IRONMAN® Live Blog. Additionally, we were able to study comparative data after the race, giving us valuable new insight into the pacing throughout the bike and the run for the top athletes in both the women’s and men’s races.
We recently wrote about the power and pacing of Lionel Sanders during this year’s race. The Canadian pro cracked a major piece of the Kona puzzle on his third attempt by finishing second after being passed by eventual champion Patrick Lange at mile 23. Using the Qollector, we can put his effort into the larger comparative context and see how the fast pace of the bike played out favorably for strong runner Lange, but cost other top pros like Sebastian Kienle the top spot.
On the women’s side, the data shows that despite being the heavy pre-race favorite, it was no cake walk for Daniela Ryf on her way to her third straight victory. We can see that she was fighting hard to stave off the hard-charging dark horse Lucy Charles for much of the bike and the run.
Before we dive into the data for the men’s and women’s pro races, take a look at the interactive tool Quarq has graciously set up for everyone to use to compare pro athletes’ paces throughout the race….
Read the full article and complete analysis