Thanks for the link. That in part further makes the point about the qualifier/lottery differences.

However, and I could be wrong, I certainly have been before, but I thought the only age-grouper who "qualified" for the next year's IMH on performance at Kona was the category champion. I know that the top ten pros are automatically qualified for the next year, but didn't think that extended to the age groups.

I bet you're right. I remember hearing "top 10", but that makes sense it is just the top ones.

I know she won the lottery a few years in a row...just 7 doesn't sound right.

I would wonder why someone that ran a ~10 hr IM at HI would want to enter via lottery. Seems to me that individual should be able to qualify at many other races.

Maybe a personality trait of mine, but I'd be WAYYYYY pissed at myslef if I won the lottery and then ran a 9:30-10 in Kona. IOW I should have just gone out and qualified.

I guess maybe if you've done umpteen IM's and never came close to qualifing 11-12's and then got in via lottery and then somehow had "the perfect race"....nahhh I'd still be pissed at myself.

~Matt

I've missed something here...how do you tell if a person is a lottery winner or qualified? Do they announce that? Is there a special colored race number? How would you know a person you caught at the finish was a lottery entrant?

Are you guys comparing the lottery list to age group catagories?

Maybe something happened (like a DNF) at their planned qualifying race. However you get there, you still have to cross the finish line 1st to win. Isn't in boxing that whoever challenges and beats the current champ gets to be champ? Its not how you get there, its what you do once the race is on that counts........kj

---

---------------------------------------
Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

One simple question....where and how did you get this info?

Very cool.

~Matt

 

Again a personality issue on my part, but kona *is* a championship. You go when you qualify....if you can. If you have bad race but are capable of qualifing....you don't go.

I have no problems with the lottery. I may even use it some day. But before I even think of doing it I plan on using every trick in my bag to try and actually qualify.

I know that after 5, 10, 15 years of consistant training done to the best of my knowledge, ability and effort, that if I'm still doing 11:30-12:00hr IM's....I ain't ever gonna qualify. I *May* do the lottery then.

Again personal choice.

~Matt

I agree, and I asked that guy in '02. He said he had originally planned to try and qualify, but entered the Lottery anyway. (You do have enter early, it think...isn't in the prior fall, or something like that?) He said he was entered in LP, but when he got the lottery slot he decided to bag LP, and just did a Half IM as his "certification" race prior to Kona.

Different strokes...too bad he took away a chance at a lottery slot from someone with no realistic hope of qualifying.

"Different strokes...too bad he took away a chance at a lottery slot from someone with no realistic hope of qualifying."

Kinda my point as well. Like I said if I had any inkling that I could qualify I'd probably keep trying until I did. However if I never came anywhere near qualifing even after trying everthing I could think of, within some reason, I might do the lottery.

~Matt

Speak up I can't hear you?!

~Matt

But he left more Gatorade for others at LP....

:)

Because you were racing for charity and did not want the pressure of having to qualify since you had been through it (qualifying) before.

I think last year I beat one of the qualifiers in the 75-79 AG.