[dude]

"Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races is mandatory and marking an athlete’s age group on the calf is part of that process. Athletes competing in our events rely on age group markings on calves to identify their competition. Ironman has been receiving an increasing number of complaints that compression socks and calf guards hide age group identification. At Hawaii 70.3 in June, Ironman experimented with eliminating age group calf markings on all athletes. This attempt at resolving the issue was met by even more complaints by the athletes. Therefore, beginning with the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship, garments that cover age group calf markings will not be permitted. Ironman’s goal is to design (and my job is to enforce) rules that provide the most level playing field possible.

Sincerely, Jimmy Riccitello"