Pacing and Performance Analysis of the World’s Fastest Female Ultra-Triathlete in 5x and 10x Ironman

Abstract

The aim of the present case study was to analyse the performance data of the world’s best female ultra-triathlete setting a new world record in a Quintuple (5xIronman) and Deca Iron (10xIronman) ultra-triathlon, within and between race days, and between disciplines (cycling and running) and races (Quintuple and Deca Iron ultra-triathlon). The subject was an elite female triathlete (52 kg, 169 cm) born in 1983. At the time of her world record in Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon she had an age of 35 years and at the time of the world record in Deca Iron ultra-triathlon 36 years old. The distribution of time spent in each discipline and transitions was 8.48% in swimming, 51.67% cycling, 37.91% running, and 1.94% transitions. There was no difference between the race days of the average speed neither in cycling nor running. The running pace had a within-day variation larger than the cycling pace, and also varied more between race days. In conclusion, the world’s best female ultra-triathlete adopted a steady (even) pacing strategy for both cycling and running, without substantial variations within- or between race days, for both the world record in a Quintuple and a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon.