It's first come first serve and why shouldn't it be?

True. Isn't an IM race just a consumer product? IM is in a position to impose time/experience requirements, but why would they?

Here we are again, treating IM as some "holy grail" of triathlon, but then out of the other side of our mouths we'll say that "it's just another distance, no better/worse than any other".

Once again, I have this feeling that these sentiments are started by the same group that is overly concerned that friends of the family and/or co-workers aren't as impressed with "their" IM performance as the finisher thinks they should be. These threads just seem to scream "Strangers aren't as impressed with me as they were 20 years ago?" (Am I the only one that gets this impression?)

The original IM race didn't have a time cutoff, now we have a 17h cutoff. Was the IM suppossed to be something that people could accomplish if they set their mind to it, or something that only highly-trained, talented athletes could do?

Why don't these folks take on a more difficult challenge like a double IM or an ultraman?

It is an unnecessary business move to impose a time/experience requirement for IM participation. They make money by the VOLUME of participants, not the QUALITY. Isn't that obvious?

You can't assume the same number of entrants with a time requirement as without.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --