Memphis in May has always been that format from what I understand and everyone likes it. The diff is 1-3 seconds there. Makes it a true time trial race.

I did IM Australia this year and they seed swim zones based on previous swim times (you wear diff color caps per zone). Its still a mass start but you have less people around you to worry about - by the time you catch up to slower swimmers the field had opened up enough that there was much less commotion.

I've heard of other tri's using that format. Never participated in one set up that way. For smaller races not too bad - would slow things down when having a large race. 1000 people @ 3 sec = 50 min. If 1000 people with 100 per wave @ 2 min = 20 min.

Who wants to miss out of a mass IM start with 2500 other athletes?!
See ya at IMWI!

Plus, sprint finishes don't mean anything with a time trial start.

I think you are talking about the Turtleman triathlon.

If so, they previously had self-seeding swim start mass waves of up to 100 people i think, i forgot the actual number of people in each wave it might of been less. The did this for the last 2 years which was really nice. I liked it, I didn't have to battle with people that didn't want to swim fast. For the newbies it was nice, they could wait towards the end and make sure to swim with people their own speed.

I'm not sure why they implemented the change but I'm pretty sure they got a new race director at the end of last years race, maybe that had something to do with it also. I might not have been the DNR but the sherriff's department. I know that in another local race not to far away the sherriff's department request that the age-group waves start 10 minute apart, which was a little ridiculous, it use to be 2 or 3 minutes before and this was only a sprint distance race. I started a whole hour after the first wave went off.

The Life Time Fitness Triathlon that's going on tomorrow is that way for the sprint distance race for sure (time trial start), but I'm not 100% on the Olympic distance swim start. This race gets a ton of newbies, i think in the race last year had somehere between 600 and 800 first timers. They do it this way for them, or that's what i've heard. For many people doing this race it's a long day with this type of start especially because they close the transition area so early and you just have to wait and wait around, up to 2 hours before it's time to start.

I wish someone would implement a combo swim format start where the people that want to do a mass start say in a group of 50 to 100 start and then the people that want a time trial format start after that. It would shorten the time spent waiting to start for some people that just want to go no matter what. With this option you would pick what type of start you want. They would just have to have a timing matt close to the entrance of the water for accurate times.

There have been several deaths this year during the swim, I know of at least 4, but I think 2 of them have been heart attack related, not 100% on the other but I don't think they were drowning related. In a race just within the last 2 weeks, one person died and several other peopel where plucked out of the water by the authorities on the scene. The death was heart attack related but the other might have been near drownings or something else.

While there might be a higher chance of drowning in a mass start it can be prevented with proper planning on our part. We never plan on getting hit in the face by people kicking but it can happen. My swim at IM Switzerland was tough, I had someones feet in my facce for the first 10 minutes and I really couldn't slow down because people were hitting my feet and it was solid people on both sides of me. I chose to be there and that what I got, but for others this could be a bit scary. If you are a weak swimmer, start on the sides or wait until everyone is in the water.

I'll be at Turtleman this year, we'll just have to see what happens.

I sometimes think that people feel this sport is somewhat risk free.
It's not. People die in the swim,bike accidents can be brutal and I've been on the run and seen people being administered CPR...
I don't think we'll ever know how many exactly...I'm not sure that info is readily available...It's not the kind of thing that RD's or the owners of race management companies broadcast...Or how many lawsuits there are every year over this kind of thing.
That being said, safety is prime concern of racing organiizations and it should be ours too. Without an eye to safety the number of triathlons would dwindle...Tri's offer far more potential for death and injury than a 5k or even a marathon or an ultra for that matter.
If a race format keeps people safer or gives the impression that people are safer...I'm all for it.

Really??? I knew someone who drowned at a triathlon, not very well but I did know him. It's not a good feeling.

Sometimes bad things happen but I think that we could all use a little more common sense and courtesy towards our fellow triathletes. I just saying this because I'm the owner of a black eye and a nice cut under my eye from having my googles smashed into my face at the Muncie HIM. It was towards the end of the swim and there was no one swimming near me but the idiot had to swim over me and through me instead of moving over a little. I know that kind of thing happens during a mass start and even during a time trail start (I was at IMWI last year with a 2475 swimmer mass start). But at the end of the swim when everyone is spread out that kind of thing is totally uncalled for. We have to take care of each other as much as we can.

I'll admit it: I've swam over some one. But I haven't ever kicked someone on the run, but I can imagine a time a would. When? Well, if I was running into a glare which meant I couldn't even see the edges of the road or where my own feet were, and if I had on sunglasses that made everything distorted, and the air was so smoggy my hands swinging at my sides weren't visible.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that it's not (ever, in my experience) on purpose that I bump/run into someone in the swim. But instead it's not being able to see well (glare or murky water). Or I've talked to people who felt bad, but ran into people or cut them off because they aren't used to the passing time in the water. They swim in a pool, in a lane, they bike alone, they run alone. It's just easier to gauge speed and safe distance on the run and bike.

On purpose, yes, should be a penalty. And we should all be careful. But we should also remember there is a good chance the person didn't mean it.

yeah, I knew what you were getting it... I should have been more clear :) I was more addressing BigGus' talk of penalties and sportsmanship.