Is the 'equalizer' fair?
 

Today we had the 'Lifetime Fitness' triathalon here in the Twin Cities. A friend of mine who used to do race them explained that 'equalizer' allows a woman to finish first and win the top purse if she's good enough.

Basically the organizers take times from similar triathalons from both men and women's times and somehow average them to figure what sort of head start to give the women.

As a woman any advantage I could get at first seems cool but I dunno, it seems a little dodgy. Since I don't know that much about it I was wondering what the tri-crowd around here thought of this process. Is it fool-proof? Is it fair?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the same lady win it 2 years running?

Yes, but she was also biking and swimming. Bwaahaahaa!

Seriously. Yes, Barb Linquist. And I'm wondering if there aren't a few men grumbling right now.

Hey, it could be totally fair for all I know. This could be the answer for alot of great women athletes that never get to win higher prize money, but...:confused:

Kind of reminds me of that big brouhaha we all had a few weeks ago about the transexual downhill racer.

Why don't they just have a purse prize for the top female and male?

I guess it is similar to rewarding a handicap in golf so that two people can enjoy a stiff competition based on the day's efforts and not another's physical limitations. I think this just confirms that the top female competitor vs. the top male competitors will always be handicapped by a smaller VO2 max, fast twitch muscles etc. in relatively short distances such as triathalons (long distance swimming and ultramarthons women close the gap so such a handicap would be unfair).

"Why don't they just have a purse prize for the top female and male?"

That's what I was wondering too. I guess they don't want to have too big of a purse. And probably don't want to split the current one in two making it a less desirable event.

Also, this was an invitational which I think means they pay top pros to come. Probably spent alot of money on that and marketing.

Seems to me there is no way to accurately handicap the race. You will guesstimate the differential to some degree inaccurately, and that inaccuracy might be as likely to determine the winner as the athletic performance. Just doesn't sound like a good idea to me.