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simple kona question
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what percentage of an age group in kona qualified to get there. meaning excludes charity and ironman give away spots.

if you competed in the 45-49 womens AG "hypothetically" and wanted to be top half of your AG, managed 33 out of 90. Would that be top 50?
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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do you include legacy as qualified? Some people do, some don't. Logic would say that the older age groups are likely to have more legacy and "CEO challenge" athletes. Realistically not too many 24 and unders have done a dozen or more IM's :-|

Just know that you'll see many many more really fast people at Kona than any "normal" IM. It was/is intimidating for this old dog.

I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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Only a guess, i am sure someone can provided more accurate info, but my guess is 70-80 of those women KQ. 10 or less would be charity or similar.

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz
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Re: simple kona question [manofthewoods] [ In reply to ]
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 Yeah its quite the blow to the ego to basically be behind everyone. I forget what its like to get my ass handed to me, I realize that I love a regular IM as I routinely zip past both genders. Good to get a wee bit of perspective. lol
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Re: simple kona question [manofthewoods] [ In reply to ]
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do you include legacy as qualified? Some people do, some don't. Logic would say that the older age groups are likely to have more legacy and "CEO challenge" athletes. Realistically not too many 24 and unders have done a dozen or more IM's :-|

and actually in this case no I don't count legacy even though I think its a completely legit way to get to Kona
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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I don't understand the question. But here are some points:

1)Approximately 2% of the age groupers at a ordinary race will qualify for Kona.

2) At Kona, about 80% of the people racing will be qualifiers. (The other 20% will be legacy, charity, military, or other random (probably wealthy people).

3) The majority of Kona qualifiers will not race well at Kona. Many will treat Kona as a vacation and not race competitively.
Many will be injured or get injured.
Many will mess up and bomb the race.

4) Poor performances and non-qualifiers- mean that the average Kona AG time is remarkably slow.

One might get the last qualifying slot in ones AG at a qualifying race, one might go to Kona and race very badly......and still finish in the top half of ones AG.
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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I would imagine that at least ~90% of athletes have qualified to race age-group in Kona... in reviewing the W45-49 AG in Kona (same one that I raced in), I think there were ~6-7 athletes that had charity slots, legacy slots or bonus slots (e.g. Boulder entry).
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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tankinisusanne wrote:
what percentage of an age group in kona qualified to get there. meaning excludes charity and ironman give away spots.

if you competed in the 45-49 womens AG "hypothetically" and wanted to be top half of your AG, managed 33 out of 90. Would that be top 50?

IOW, what you are asking is if at least 66 of the 90 women in your AG did KQ rather than getting in some other way. To not make top 50%, you'd have to have at least 25 out of the 90 who got in some other way. I've never seen the full aggregate stats but i can't imagine that 25 out of 90, or about 28% of 45-49 W, got in via some non-KQ method. Therefore, i would estimate that you were indeed in the at least the top half of the KQ portion of your AG, and prob higher. If i were guessing the most probable number of 45-49 women who got in through non-KQ, i'd guess maybe 5, which would put you in the top 40%. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: simple kona question [Velocibuddha] [ In reply to ]
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yes but if you podium you are a star.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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I spent days on this several years ago and about 1/4 of the field do not Qualify (or get a rolldown) at a race.

For example at the time Powerbar used to get 50 slots.

There are plenty of people that get given spots linked to the race.

I got my spot from a mate that worked at WTC at the time. He gave away 5 spots to friends that year. No lottery. No price. Just here is a link, sign up and put this code in.

2400 did it this year.

So tipping 600 raced without qualifying. As per others, leg, lott, ebay, sponsors, mates, returning stars, celebrity, locals, I think about 10 medical people get spots (google that), family members of race directors (I know a girl who has done it 3 times as he uncle was the RD of a major Ironman and she raced again this year. Shes a 13hr athlete. I know a guy who donated 20K to an Ironman charity and he got a start last year (2016).

Qualifying is just one way to get a start.

Rhymenocerus wrote:
I think everyone should consult ST before they do anything.
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Re: simple kona question [PJC] [ In reply to ]
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They also give out slots to Kona residents and at 70.3 races in China,

It sounds like the percentage of non-qualifiers at Kona is about the same at Boston, which is kind of surprising to me. I had pegged the number to be 1/2 of that. I was at the Kona finish line this year (first time ever). I was surprised to see so many people crossing the finish line during that last hour. It "looked" like more than a regular IM.


__________________________________________________________________________
My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."
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Re: simple kona question [zoom] [ In reply to ]
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I hear what you're saying, but Kona IS different. The spread of talent is much tighter; generally. I KQ'd and then had a personal worst day there for reason(s) I've yet to figure out. Yes there are stragglers, but, there are far more who do pretty darn good given the course and conditions - I just wasn't one of them.

I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
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Re: simple kona question [tankinisusanne] [ In reply to ]
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If i makes you feel better i got off bike in Kona in 51st place in my age group then had 105 people in my age group passed me on my Kona death march. I am not slow but that day I was. Lots of fast people and very tough race that must be respected, be happy you finished did well and motivate to go back and do better.

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz
Last edited by: BBLOEHR: Oct 19, 17 5:17
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Re: simple kona question [manofthewoods] [ In reply to ]
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This was my second time there, the first I didn't make it past mile ten of the run. This year was better thank god that bike was brutal at the turnaround.
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Re: simple kona question [BBLOEHR] [ In reply to ]
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it takes all of 3 days for your brain to start perking and wonder if you can do better and when you will try again, don't mention that to my patient husband and family though.
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Re: simple kona question [zoom] [ In reply to ]
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zoom wrote:
I was surprised to see so many people crossing the finish line during that last hour. It "looked" like more than a regular IM.

Kona is different than a "regular IM" in that there is a bunch of people at 10-11 hour mark, and then it's pretty thin until the last finishing hour or so. Whereas in a regular IM the finish stream is pretty constant.

Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3
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