The Big Woody

I didn't know it was 'short', always thought of it as an IM.

Rocco, I don't think it makes any difference what WE think, it's what YOU think that's important, isn't it?

Personally, in order to call myself an ironman I felt I had to do a branded M dot event.  I also went for one with a very good reputation for the razzamatazz, the nice fabric transition bags, the free buses, firework, towels, shower lorries etc etc etc and I paid probably two or three times what you pay for the Big Woody.  Subsequently I've done a Challenge event and an independent (Outlaw).

All these events have their good points and their bad points in terms of cost, reputation, delivery, course profile and, yes, course distance.  Ultimately you, and only you, can decide what are the key factors about long course triathlon racing that are important to you and then decide which race you want to go for. 

You can call yourself what you want at the end.  Call yourself Dorisman if it pleases you.  It's about you.

Again, you have to decide if it counts.  (Sorry I don't mean to be an arse!)

I can tell you what I think, but you have to decide what you think.

Technically in some manual or rule book somewhere I think it says there is a 10% tolerance for races to be qualifiers for something, could be IM qualifiers, could be ITU races, I'm not sure, but that might be a helpful place for you to start in your decision making process.

I'm interested why you feel it's a good place to 'start' - do you feel you need a practice run?   If you feel (as you say) that it should be an M dot event, then what we say won't change that and I'd suggest you should go straight for the kill with an M dot event if that's what you really want.  The reason I say this, is that you'll just end up toddling off to Bolton (or wherever) next year if you're not satisfied, so if that disatisfaction is already there now, then it's not going to go away.  You might as well do what you want to do from the very start.

(And you don't need a practice run, you just need faith)

there are a few around these parts (DtS, Holgs, Min, Viking) who did the BW as their 1st long distance race and called themselves Ironman after completing - they have all gone on since to complete other events (branded and unbranded).

it's a perennial discussion - do you call yourself an IM if you do a non-branded event??  as Mouse says - it's your call.   there's probably more argument as to whether you should have an M-dot tattoo after an unbranded event!!!   

Yep... Did TBW no 1, and after 3 trips up English Bicknor felt more than happy to call myself an Ironman...

Since did IMUK, Which seemed to also feature a "short" run that year, and this year The Outlaw

It's and Iron Distance Race.... IM is only a brand name and a branded logo (Yeah alright I know I have it on my arm)

Do like the idea of being a DorisMan tho, Think I would have to wear pink rather than yellow for it

Rocco - not sure if IMUK has a waiting list but IMWales still has places.

just do what a lot of us have done - enter an IM and train like buggery and keep the faith!!  at least once you've done one you can call yourself an IM and then move onto unbranded ones.

It was a different course, with the swim in a different lake....

Trever has never been that handy with a tape measure to be honest

Stop messing about and get yourself entered into IMWales

Rocco - I did IMW when it was the bad weather - the swim was great!!  got an IM PB swim time at it.   but then I do most of my OW training in the sea so it doesn't bother me that much.   the more training you do in the sea, the easier it becomes....

do it!

 did they?!  I hadn't heard that!  Is that what happens when they switch organisers ....

Dorisman and Sagaman....

I'd not worry too much if i were you -6 miles on the bike is nothing and if its the same hills that I did it on - then its much harder than most IM bike courses anyway. 

4 miles short on the run - well at least they're telling you this. 

I think when I did it  the swim seemed short (as have plenty of IM races), the bike was about spot on, and er the run was less than 20 miles.  None of which we knew until the day. I'm still counting it as an IM distance race as I finished the course as they asked. 

Pingu - yes, we discussed it at length with Cheerful Dave afterwards. 

I heard the IMW run was a bit short. It would need to be very short for me to run up and down that chuffing hill.

I've gone full circle with this one; when I got into this on here I was with the clan that felt very much that to be called an IM, you had to actually do an IM... and that's technically true, it's a brand and if you haven't done an IM you're not an IM. Plain and simple.

Totally with that at the time.

But now I don't give a crap, if you can do the distance then that's the cudos.

The perfectionist in me would discount anything less than the distance, but that doesn't matter, it's how you feel. Who gives a crap what fairly anonymous online people think?