I am participating in IMWI 2009. I do not consider myself a weekend warrior or a taker of extreme risks. I enjoy the sport of triathlon and I train carefully with a well laid out plan that spans more than a year of ironman-specific training that includes running, biking, and swimming, and 4 more years of getting ready to even be ready to register for this event. Our doctor is aware of and wholeheartedly supports our participation in this sport and is in fact a multiple Ironman finisher himself.
Could something happen to me during training or events? Sure. Something could also happen to me at work, in my car, weeding the garden, or even lying in bed, but I am not going to wrap myself in a protective bubble and wait for something bad to happen. I'd rather get out and get some fresh air and exercise.
Now let's post some statistics about the death rate from heart attacks in those with heart disease or other inactivity-related or obesity-related diseases. I bet you would get a lot more bang for your buck in decreasing these mortality rates if you spent more time getting people up and moving rather than trying to get active people to sit still.

localmatters...give me a high five if you see me going by. Let's pray for good weather.

15 out of a million and mostly on the swim. .015%. I'll take that chance. Open water swimming is NOT like pool swimming. You must transition into it gradually. I ALWAYS wear my wetsuit, no matter what. Once you open water swim a few times, it is easier to relax and bring your heart rate down. And the article posted by jville dr. is old news. And the lady at the end of the article (who is a cardiologist) has competed in over 100 triathlons. All sporting activities have risks. One must be willing to accept the risk. I am. Many others are too.

At least this lady was trying to be healthy and died doing something she apparently enjoyed!

If I can't die in my sleep, I pray it's doing something I enjoy!

OkieFed -- She was not on the Ironman registry last evening. I'm in for IM2010 and will be volunteering for IM2009. Best of luck to all competitors!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30...

I'm w/OkieFed. A bunch of my in-laws are triathalon / exercise junkies and more than one of them have broken bones, and one had a hip fracture -- nothing to laugh at. This is an extreme pastime with risks.

Have another Twinkie, Okie.

To BigMike's point -- http://www.channel3000.com/news/20482489...

It happens every day.

And my Dr. Wants me to get into this (no shield or anything..... Are you sure? This is going to be something!!
Dr~!! Dr

I beg your pardon- the couch contributes to mortality every day. It's called heart disease, obesity, and a multitude of other activities attributed to inactivity.

Triathlon, or any form of active exercise, is fun, healthy, and generally good for people. People that find fault in an active lifestyle are generally the folks firmly planted on their sofa increasing mortality and morbidity statistics for the general population to a much greater extent than triathletes and marathoners. Comparative statistics support this, should you care to research it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of a lovely vibrant lady who touched many lives. I have several friends who knew Mary and thought a lot of her, although I had not personally met her.

I have never been injured while sitting on my couch.

I'm not a triathlete, just a cyclist, but it does seem like a natural progression so I've been paying attention.
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The basic issue is not really race-related. It's that these are primarily amateur competitions where the participants are responsible for their own medical waiver. You hear all the time the advice "See your doctor before beginning an exercise program", but how many people actually do? Race organizers do a lot for safety, but I don't see how they can be held responsible for a situation like this.
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The counterargument is that more people participating means more people getting fit, which is good for their overall health. It could be argued that more people live longer from becoming triathletes. That doesn't diminish the sadness of an individual death, of course. But the value is not as immediately apparent.

OkieFed
3 deaths so far this year in triathlons in Wisconsin. 2 on the swim and one between the swim and bike. This was a training accident. How and why she tired or what exactly happened probably will never be known.
As a triathlete myself I can tell you that we are out to prove nothing. Triathlons are fun. It is another form of exercise and a way to stay fit. Just swimming or just running or just biking gets boring. Training in all 3 makes it more fun and interesting.
People die every day from all kinds of things.
The death rate in triathlons and marathons are very small and most are attributed to other health conditions. Like the basketball players that die every year from heart defects that were never detected. The marathoner who died also had a heart defect.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this young woman who passed away.

Triathlons are very safe. And the people I have met during training and in races are some of the most kind and supportive people I have ever met.

What "high death rate"? Only other death I heard about in a triathlon was during a biking portion where a rider lost control and hit a tree.