BT Forum

no and no.

its not a fat kid category no matter how many people whine about 6'+ 205lb athletes winning.

but next year it wont matter for your friend as the weight minimum goes to 220lbs anyway.

race what you want if you qualify, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and the only real winner is the dood or chick that comes in first overall, everything else is an atta boy or atta girl award.

It's going to 220, I thought they were getting riof it completely and it was up to the race directors to add the catagory if they wanted. I may be wrong thats just what I heard, I will try to look it up.

If you are over the weight race it, I do. I am 217 and came in 2nd in the Clydesdale division. The guy that beat me looked to be around 210, all my friends were questioning if he was under. I didn't think he was and didnt care, it was my first podium ever

Unfortunately no,

I wish they would to the Clydes class based on BMI....

I looked it up and it looks like you are right Clydes will be over 220 starting after Jan 1 2013. I guess I wont be a Clydesdale next year, which I was hoping for anyways.

If you read though this forum and elsewhere in the interwebs, the Athena/Clydesdale class seem to have to connotation of being a fat/out of shape person class. That wasn't the original intent and should never be.  The spirit of the category is to acknowledge that moving more mass over the finish line is a handicap.  Doesn't matter if the extra mass comes from being tall, having lots of muscles or a beer gut.

History of the Clydesdale class goes back to the 1980s when a Baltimore-area accountant convinced area race directors to include competitors weight on race applications.  His analysis showed that starting at about 170 pounds, there was a sharp decline in performance relative to athletes of about the same age.

So to answer your question, as long as your friend meets the requirements, tell him go for it.

I just finished my first Sprint Tri on Sunday and I raced as an Athena.  I spent 2 years getting myself under the 150 weight mark, only to pack back on the pounds when I started training for a tri.  So I raced on Sunday at 160lbs.  But at the same time, I'm 5'9.  It's not easy for me to stay at the 150lb mark at that height without having my mother lecture me about being too skinny.

I finished 2nd in the Athena Group.  But going back and comparing my times to those of my age group (30-34), I still would have finished 2nd.   

It takes a lot of energy to get 200+ lbs over a course whether it's fat or muscle.  PERIOD.  That's why they have the division.

You can have a fit/lean 200+ or a flabby 200+.  They both have the disadvantage of being 200+, but the fit person will obviously be better.

It's the same as an AG.  You can have a fit 44yr old and a flabby 44yr old.  They both have the same advantage/disadvantage of age, but the fit person will do better.

The clyde division is not to seperate fat from fit, but just a weight division and lets the athletes IN that division work or decide if they want to be a fit version for fat version of a clyde.

I didn't hear about the 220+ clyde change. Here in South Florida, many races have 2 or 3 different clyde division- 185, 200, 225, etc.

I have always raced as a clyde- 6 ft 205-220lbs depeding on the day, diet and how many cookies I had last week. 

After my last race, I have been thinking I should swith to AG anyway. If they get move clyde to 220, I guess I don't have to debate anymore.

The only thing that would dissuade the most fit clydes from racing as Clydes is the fact that only AG finishes count towards USAT rankings.

For the rest of us mortals, if the scale says you are in, you are in....

First... as to the OP... if your friend is over the limit on race day, then by all means, race it as a Clyde. As other's have stated it's not about fitness, it is about size, and size alone.

Second... in Ontario, Canada the provincial ruling body has gotten rid of the designation. If the local RD wishes to have the category, that is their prerogative, but your official time (if it goes to OAT at all) will be entered in AG only.

I found when I was racing, I would enter as a Clyde, but I'd always compare my times in my AG and overall anyway... and I generally don't care about the results as I'm MOP-BOP and I'm doing this for fun and fitness only. The race is only recreation.

Actually not true - Jack Weis, USAT BoD, in a response to me regarding the new weight limit said "...C&A is not an official class for ranking, Ironman or Nationals. In fact your race results actually go back into your age group."  So they count - just not as C/A

I'm doing the Pumpkinman Triathlon in Las Vegas in October, and their webpage said that anyone signing up for the Clydes/Athenas classification will be weighed at packet pickup.

Out of the four races I've done, I have only been weighed at the most recent race.  I wish that it was close, but at 240, I easily made the cut!  =)  Next year, I WILL NOT!!!

Above the limit?  Race as a Clyde.

I race as a Clyde because in some cases, I will have a better chance to rank higher as a Clyde than if I raced as a 35-39 year old.  Most guys from my AG are smallish, pretty fit dudes.  Not busting on 'em, just pointing out the facts.

As for weigh in... I'm not sure if it's been done at the tris I've done.  I'm pretty obviously over 200, so maybe I just wasn't challenged.  With the 220 limit, and my renewed dedication to cycling and triathloning, perhaps I'll be challenged more later on.