As others have pointed out, with so many choices now, it's more a question of what you are looking for, what meets your needs and what your expectations are?
Years ago, when there were far fewer races, those races that did exist tended to define, for the people that went to them what an Ironman was/is.
It's hard to compare, something like IMAZ to IMLP or IMMT to IMFL - the race distances are all the same, but the locations, the courses, the amenities, the accommodation, the settings etc . . . are all different.
Case in point. Many complain about the accommodation prices at some Ironman races. It's expensive and there is a real shortage of rooms. Consider IMFL then - where it's the total opposite. The choices are plentiful. The prices reasonable to down-right cheap, and many places come with ocean front views on what is a stunner of a beach!
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog