While there is no single official public database that tracks every death specifically during the swim leg of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events worldwide, I've compiled data from media reports, race statements, academic studies, and community-maintained lists. I suspect that death counts are higher than what has been published for several reasons: Any participants in distress who are either extricated from the water or are already on-land are transported off-site, so if they pass away, it...

Last weekend, the chaos of the Portland Bridge Swim ensued, and I'm now writing my memoir from beyond the grave, as it's entirely possible I died from pre-event panic and during-event mini-heart attacks. By the way, check out the most incredible event photos from Veronica at Statz Photography: https://statzphotography.pixieset.com/portlandbridgeswim/ As background, this is my first year as the solo event director for PBS. The past two years, I was a co-race director with Marisa, the OG...

Triathlons test endurance, strength, and mental toughness. Despite triathletes being incredible cyclists and runners, the swim portion has historically been the toughest for participants due to the complexity of skills required and the scary nature of open water swimming. As a result, the swim portion of triathlons is the riskiest - 80% of deaths that occur during triathlons occur during the swim segment (Source). I'm a race director and swim instructor. I've run multiple events and open...