Note: This is an excerpt from my 2013 TriRating Report which has a lot more information about the 2013 long distance season. You can download it for free using this link.
When listing the top results, there are two different ways of presenting them: One is by the „clock time“ as posted on the race results. This is pretty interesting by itself, but normalized times (adjusting for a fast or slow course and conditions on race day) are usually a bit more indicative of how good the performance really was (and not on how fast a course the race was occurring).
This post contains the Top 3 results (as per clock time) and Top 3 performances in each of the legs.
Swim
Top 3 Male Performances of 2013
Dylan McNeice’s results show why he my the new top-rated swimmer: All of his four swims in IM- distance races made it into the top 10, and his two best swims are the #1 and #2 performances:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Dylan McNeice | 00:42:59 | 00:47:56 | Challenge Wanaka on 2013-01-19 |
| 2 | Dylan McNeice | 00:43:00 | 00:47:00 | Challenge Taiwan on 2013-05-04 |
| 3 | Todd Skipworth | 00:45:53 | 00:50:10 | Challenge Taiwan on 2013-05-04 |
Fastest 3 Male Times of 2013
The best male swim times this year were posted in Austria, I’m not aware of any reports that the course was short:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Bart Colpaert | 00:47:22 | 00:42:54 | IM Austria on 2013-06-30 |
| 2 | Santi Pellejero Gacía | 00:47:23 | 00:42:55 | IM Austria on 2013-06-30 |
| 3 | Daniel Halksworth | 00:47:12 | 00:43:59 | IM UK on 2013-08-04 |
Top 3 Female Performances of 2013
The best performance (even if the time „looks“ slow) was delivered by Celine Schaerer in her IM debut race in Switzerland:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Celine Schaerer | 00:47:39 | 00:52:38 | IM Switzerland on 2013-07-28 |
| 2 | Jodie Swallow | 00:48:02 | 00:46:09 | IM Germany on 2013-07-07 |
| 3 | Meredith Kessler | 00:48:14 | 00:47:37 | IM New Zealand on 2013-03-02 |
Fastest 3 Female Times of 2013
Jodie was a minute slower than Amanda Stevens last year, but her time from Germany was still the fastest this year:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Jodie Swallow | 00:48:02 | 00:46:09 | IM Germany on 2013-07-07 |
| 2 | Haley Chura | 00:48:35 | 00:46:21 | IM Brasil on 2013-05-26 |
| 3 | Meredith Kessler | 00:48:14 | 00:47:37 | IM New Zealand on 2013-03-02 |
Bike
Top 3 Male Performances of 2013
As in 2012 Andy Starykowicz’ bike leg from IM Florida was the best bike performance of the year, but the difference to the next spots is much smaller than if you just looked at the “raw” times:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Andrew Starykowicz | 04:24:20 | 04:02:17 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 2 | Andrew Starykowicz | 04:24:37 | 04:21:50 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
| 3 | Luke McKenzie | 04:25:13 | 04:22:25 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
Fastest 3 Male Times of 2013
Of course Andy Strykowicz’s new “world record” at IM Florida was the fastest time of the year:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Andrew Starykowicz | 04:24:20 | 04:02:17 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 2 | Konstantin Bachor | 04:26:44 | 04:14:16 | Challenge Barcelona on 2013-10-06 |
| 3 | Christophe Bastie | 04:37:44 | 04:14:34 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
Top 3 Female Performances of 2013
As in 2012 Caroline had the best bike performance of the year:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Caroline Steffen | 04:51:32 | 04:49:38 | MetaMan on 2013-08-31 |
| 2 | Yvonne Van Vlerken | 04:52:16 | 04:39:35 | Challenge Roth on 2013-07-14 |
| 3 | Eva Wutti | 04:54:26 | 04:39:58 | IM Copenhagen on 2013-08-18 |
Fastest 3 Female Times of 2013
IM Florida almost saw a new “world bike record” on the women’s side as well – Yvonne missed Caroline’s best from Melbourne 2012 by just 20 seconds:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Yvonne Van Vlerken | 05:00:55 | 04:35:49 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 2 | Mareen Hufe | 05:04:42 | 04:39:17 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 3 | Yvonne Van Vlerken | 04:52:16 | 04:39:35 | Challenge Roth on 2013-07-14 |
Run
Top 3 Male Performances of 2013
In 2013 we saw some fantastic runs, but I don’t think that too many people would have listed Tim Berkel’s 2:44 from Cairns as the best run performance of the year. However, you have to consider that there were only two more sub-3h performances on that day – by Chris McCormack and Jason Shortis, both more than ten minutes slower than Tim!
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Tim Berkel | 02:41:35 | 02:44:24 | IM Cairns on 2013-06-01 |
| 2 | Bart Aernouts | 02:44:24 | 02:44:03 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
| 3 | Bart Aernouts | 02:45:12 | 02:37:01 | IM France on 2013-06-23 |
Fastest 3 Male Times of 2013
The fastest run times come from a number of different courses. The two 2:37 marathon were the fastest times we’ve seen in the past years (and on mostly legitimate courses at that). The fastest time I’m aware of is a 2:35 by Peter Reid in Austria 1999 – on a run course even Peter admits was short.
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Bart Aernouts | 02:45:12 | 02:37:01 | IM France on 2013-06-23 |
| 2 | Victor Del Corral | 02:45:27 | 02:37:29 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 3 | Andreas Raelert | 02:45:17 | 02:40:07 | IM Austria on 2013-06-30 |
Top 3 Female Performances of 2013
The run results are dominated by Kona results, indicating that all athletes gave their absolute best in the race that matters most. Of course, Rinny had the best Kona run and also the best run performance of the year:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Mirinda Carfrae | 02:51:00 | 02:50:38 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
| 2 | Caitlin Snow | 02:59:16 | 02:58:53 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
| 3 | Kristin Moeller | 03:01:56 | 02:58:37 | IM Lanzarote on 2013-05-18 |
Fastest 3 Female Times of 2013
Rinny had the fastest 2013 run by quite a large margin:
| Rank | Name | Normalized Time | Actual Time | Race |
| 1 | Mirinda Carfrae | 02:51:00 | 02:50:38 | IM Hawaii on 2013-10-12 |
| 2 | Ashley Clifford | 03:05:31 | 02:56:35 | IM Florida on 2013-11-02 |
| 3 | Kristin Moeller | 03:02:17 | 02:57:13 | IM Germany on 2013-07-07 |