Photos by Jay Prasuhn/EnduraPix.com

Historically, the pros taking part in Ironman events around the world went dormant after Kona, with smaller fields of considerably less depth vying for honors in Florida and Arizona.  

But one look at Sunday’s Ironman Arizona in the era of the Kona Points Chase, and we’ve got a barnburner on our hands. Can you say Chrissie Wellington? Meredith Kessler? Heather Wurtele? Linsey Corbin? Just those four have each taken Ironman wins earlier this year, and each will be in Tempe. Add an on-form Leanda Cave, former Arizona champ Erika Csomor, Kona top-five finisher Rachel Joyce, and Kona ninth-place finisher Heleen Bij de Vaate, and you’ve got a stunning fall field. 

Neither prize money nor appearance fees justifies this sort of pro field.

And the boys? You’ve got defending champ Jordan Rapp coming back to the plate after a layoff, Olympian Matt Reed stepping up to the Ironman plate for the first time, Rasmus Henning looking to make reparations for a lackluster Kona campaign, and Chris Lieto and Timo Bracht making a late entry. Not only that, Andy Potts, Maik Twelseik, and Jozef Major are alll bringing firepower to what is typically an “average” race. What’s bringing so many to Tempe before the turn of the year? Points. But is a deep field on the heels of Kona good or bad? 

“Four athletes have been top-10 in Kona. Three athletes just placed in the top 15,” Rapp said. “In most cases, it’s the third Ironman—and Maik’s fourth—of the year, and it’s six weeks and one day after Kona. Nobody is at their best six weeks after their A-plus-plus-plus race of the year. A lot of folks just want to get their non-Kona Ironman out of the way. Neither prize money (a la Abu Dhabi) nor appearance fees (a la Germany or Roth) justifies this sort of pro field.” 

This race qualifies as one of the biggest of the year despite the seasonal wane. Rapp wonders, however, if with so many races and so many pros going for that increasingly elusive Kona spot (only the highest points-ranked 50 pro men and 30 pro women will make the start in Kona), the pros are paying a price.

“The depth of the pro field in Arizona shows me that WTC can force pros to show up at races besides Hawaii, but they can’t force them to be at their peak. Kona is being used a stick to motivate athletes, which is too bad since there are plenty of carrots that are getting left in the basket,” Rapp said.

For all athletes signed up, pro and age groupers alike, the race was almost derailed before it began. This summer, the dams that hold in Tempe Town Lake’s waters sprung a leak and drained completely. City planners rushed to repair and rebuild the dam and refill the waters in October, and early accounts are that the fresh water to replace the drained is a bit clearer. Athletes will get their sole chance to test it Saturday at the official pre-race test swim, with race officials saying water temps are a temperate 68 degrees F. 

The story the pros are following of course, is the return of two champs: Jordan Rapp and Chrissie Wellington. Wellington’s is well-chronicled: the three-time Ironman world champ was unable to make a run at number four, crossing her name from the start list on the morn of the Hawaii Ironman. Tests back in her stateside hometown of Boulder, Colo. revealed she was suffering from West Nile Virus, which effectively flattened her not only race morning but for several weeks after the race. She recovered just soon enough to rebuild her fitness and have a crack at the race in Tempe. 

Rapp’s story is equally known. Earlier this year, a vehicle pulled out in front of a full-speed Rapp, resulting in a hit that caused cut arteries in his neck and a broken collarbone. After a long rehab through the balance of the season, Rapp is ready to get after it.

“Returning to Ironman Arizona makes me feel like I’ve finally come full circle,” Rapp said. “It’s doubly poignant because it was not only a wonderful high note to the end of 2009, but also because Ironman Arizona in 2008 was the first Ironman that I really focused on after racing Ironman Canada in 2007 on two days’ planning. This race … marks my focused entry into the world of Ironman racing as someone who is truly a different person than I was before the accident. I’m just very, very grateful to be able to be on that starting line, and I plan to express that gratitude the best way I know how—by dropping the hammer on this race,” Rapp adds. 

Tune in to IronmanLIVE.com on race day (6:30 MST, 8:30 am EST) where the crew and six hosts will be live all day, through to the final finisher. If you miss that, be sure to visit us here at lavamagazine.com for a complete post-race report.