2016 was a record year for IRONMAN as a record 189 events were executed in 45 countries! Following the end of the year, IRONMAN collected a full year of data from athlete surveys, sent out to thousands of race participants, and are revealing the winners of our 2016 IRONMAN Athletes’ Choice Awards!
The people have spoken! The following 10 swims were voted to the “Best Overall Swim” category by IRONMAN participants.
Best Overall Event Swim:
1. IRONMAN Australia:
“Swimming in the Hastings River was a wonderful experience, and the rolling start eased my mind.”
2. IRONMAN Wales
“Perfect, zero stress and wonderful volunteers.”
3. IRONMAN Coeur D’Alene:
“The best swim start ever! Zero washing machine effects with the rolling start. Absolutely awesome!! Every race should be like this.”
4. Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga presented by Mckee A Family Bakery:
“Not as chaotic as other races I’ve done. Really loved the rolling start off the dock and the exit up the stairs. Good layout and thought process.”
5. SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australia
“Pristine.”
T6. Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand:
“The swim was magnificent. The lake is absolutely stunning and I would do it over again in a second.”
T6. Subaru IRONMAN Canada:
“Please don’t change a thing! This was my first triathlon and expected to have an anxious first competitive, open water swim. But, I didn’t. It was a steady, enjoyable swim. I attribute much of that to the swim course design and support. Flawless.”
8. IRONMAN Barcelona:
“Great swim experience, best out of all my previous events. I was very impressed with the level of organization. Put me at ease and felt very relaxed and safe.”
9. IRONMAN Louisville presented by Norton Sports Health:
“Talk about a low stress swim. I loved it!”
10. IRONMAN Boulder:
“This was the best swim I have ever had (comfort, ease of sighting, quickest time!) and was so blown away by all of the volunteers helping in the water. I felt so much safer than in any other race and felt that they helped keep us all on course. Thank you.”
Photo Gallery of IRONMAN Swims:
All the data from our annual athlete surveys is in, and we are happy to showcase the top 10 scoring events in their respective categories. Visit www.ironman.com to see the complete list of categories. Now’s the time to plan your 2017 triathlon season, whether you’re looking for a pristine swim, a memorable post-race party, or anything in between.
Press release courtesy of IRONMAN.