Totally agree with you, did it 3x and stayed in Wilmington each time, refuse to pay the in town prices and accept their minimums.
If they were reasonable, I'd probably do the race again.

I just tried to name 10 pro men. Couldn't do it. I got closer with the pro women, but still couldn't name 10 of them. And I have been following the sport since the 80s!

The Saranac Lake area is less costly than LP and close enough to be convenient and it gets you away from all the hub bub.

Agree. Love LP and have done it 3 times. Just hate spending a lot of money for very little. IMMT is pricey, but I feel you get a lot more for it.

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Founder of THE TRIATHLON COLLECTIVE (Closed Facebook Group). A SBR discussion group without the white noise/trolling!

When it comes down to it, there is no single reason but rather a number of factors.

For my n=1...

#1: The rolling start (contributing to the pussification of our country) is a big turn off.
#2: The hotel gouging has been well documented on ST.
#3: I live in So Cal so Placid is a long, pain-in-the-ass trip for me.

If I want to do an Ironman that same day, I can take a much shorter trip to Whistler, pay reasonable hotel rates for properties that are adjacent to the race course/finish line & participate in a mass start. The only thing Placid has going for it for me is that I haven't done it already...but there are many more races having this same distinction. In fact, I can probably spend a similar amount of money to do Austria or Brazil and have a better experience.

I suspect Monty is a bit off base with the pro thing. After the race, I must have asked 50-75 people (racers and spectators) who won the pro races and no one knew. I assumed Bree Wie won the women's race because I saw her as the leader on the run course but I didn't know that Marino won until the awards ceremony. I do follow the pros and I can definitely name more than 10 of each gender but I don't pick races based on pro participation. I also think the sponsors care more about exposure to the AGers rather than what 25-40 pros are doing the race.

I volunteered in T2 as a bike handler and don't feel like I wasted my day. I didn't volunteer so I could sign up. I was pretty sure I'd get a spot online since LP took several hours to sell out last year and since then IMCHOO, Muskoka and Maryland have appeared as options. For me, LP is slightly closer than IMMT and it was either that or the new Muskoka and my wife and I already decided to make a weekend out of it.
We had a great time helping out and it was a fun day for us. We met a bunch of cool people during our session and got a good look at the venue.
BTW, remember to thank the volunteers. We worked our asses off and I'm sure the volunteers at the aid stations, finish, etc worked their asses off as well. IMLP will be #3 for me and I am excited for next year's race.

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A false humanity is used to impose its opposite, by people whose cruelty is equalled only by their arrogance

my buddy drove up the night before and was able to get a room at the same hotel as me and didn't need to book for the 3-4 night minimum.

i'm totally gambling and doing that next time. if not, i'll just sleep in my car.

Totally agree. I bailed on LP (transferred to IMLOU) after I realized the minimum a hotel (close by) would cost was gonna be $2500. I want to do LP at somepoint, but just cannot stand those prices. I'm staying for 5 nights at a nice hotel in LOU and saving $1500. Not bad.

You'll have a blast in Louisville, done it 5x, absolutely loved it every time.
Can't beat that southern hospitality. Enjoy.

Or, as others suggested - stay 10 minutes outside of town heading towards Saranac Lake and essentially erase lodging from the budget (you'll pay like $100 / night). If all else fails, hit me up - my family owns a small camp about 25 minutes northwest of LP - you can stay there for a 6 pack of craft brews of your selection :)

x2 (although I've only done Louisville twice)

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

I did that this year as well, based on a suggestion from several who raced last year. I was able to get two nights at the Crowne Plaza on Saturday and cancelled my plan B which was an hour away in Plattsburgh.

Stayed at ADK Trail Inn on 9N between Keene Valley and Jay, 25 minutes from venue. $100 a night, three night minimum and an awesome breakfast buffet included. Very comfortable. There a several of these type places within 30 minutes of the venue.

There's another supply / demand aspect that I don't think I've seen note of. In the past 2-3 years, there have been at least two new hotels, at 100 rooms each, open in Lake Placid. The extra rooms increase the competition for getting people in the doors.