I am in Central Florida and the weather people here said it was going to die down and hit a Cat 1 or just under that. When we woke up the next morning it was a Cat 4. I know they get it wrong sometimes but that is a pretty big Oooops. My heart is ripped apart for those people in Mexico City Beach and surrounding areas. I can't imagine having to recover and start over with my family like that.

Move it back 2-4 weeks does what for participants? Vacation time taken, rentals booked, airfare...moving the race back doesn't seem to make sense. .

Moving the race by 2 weeks worked pretty well at IM Maryland in 2015.

the difference being IM Maryland was delayed because of flooding, IMFL possible move/ cancellation is because of death and destruction of a hurricane.

Postpone till next year makes sense. Move it back 2-4 weeks does what for participants? Vacation time taken, rentals booked, airfare...moving the race back doesn't seem to make sense. Plus the idea of riding my $$$bike past some folks' demolished homes makes me a little queasy.

Best bet would be deferrals to next years race, combine the 2018 and 2019 Kona slots so you'll guarantee a sell-out, use a portion of the extra participant $ for a local relief fund.

Postpone till next year makes sense. Move it back 2-4 weeks does what for participants? Vacation time taken, rentals booked, airfare...moving the race back doesn't seem to make sense. Plus the idea of riding my $$$bike past some folks' demolished homes makes me a little queasy.

Best bet would be deferrals to next years race, combine the 2018 and 2019 Kona slots so you'll guarantee a sell-out, use a portion of the extra participant $ for a local relief fund.

Dear IRONMAN Florida Athletes:

As the extent of the damage to Panama City Beach and surrounding Bay County has become apparent over the last several days, it is clear there is a low probability of our being able to conduct the 2018 IRONMAN Florida as scheduled.

Our thoughts and primary consideration are with the area, which has played host to literally thousands of athletes over the long history of IRONMAN Florida, as well as the Gulf Coast Triathlon. Many of us have built long-standing relationships and friendships within the community.

IRONMAN is working on alternatives to try and ensure a race experience for our registered athletes and in parallel support the people of Panama City Beach and Bay County.

The IRONMAN Foundation has launched a Humanitarian Relief Effort campaign to raise funds in response to Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach. As part of the campaign, the IRONMAN Foundation has pledged $50,000 to support local recovery efforts. Join us in supporting the Hurricane Michael Humanitarian Relief efforts in three different ways - make a DONATION; BUY a custom Humanitarian Relief T-Shirt to support recovery efforts; and VOLUNTEER for local service projects, providing hands-on rebuilding assistance as our friends in this area that look to recover during this difficult time.

For full details on the IRONMAN Foundation Michael Relief Effort and how to donate, purchase t-shirts or volunteer, visit http://www.ironmanfoundation.org/relief

There will be a formal announcement at the end of business on Tuesday, October 16 to inform registered athletes of next steps in relation to the 20th anniversary event. We ask for your patience until that time.

Thank you for your understanding and please keep the people of Panama City Beach and Bay County in your thoughts over the coming days and weeks.

IRONMAN

Postpone it till when though?

I have done IMFL a few times, and it was my 1st IM so it will always hold a special place to me, but the weather was always iffy in November it won't be any better to worst in remaining off-season months of Dec, Jan, or Feb.

Moving the race by 2 weeks worked pretty well at IM Maryland in 2015.

"https://www.facebook.com/...859805&width=500"


Could always switch to a local race. (no affiliation)


First I would like to say our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the storm. We are so fortunate here in Central Florida that we escaped this one. Having been hit by several hurricanes ourselves, we realize how tough it can be to regroup and recover.
We know first hand that Mother Nature does not always cooperate when it comes to racing and events. It takes a tremendous amount of training and dedication to ready yourself for a full distance triathlon and we do not wish to see athletes lose out on an opportunity to race a full distance triathlon when they are race ready. With the possibility that this year's Ironman Florida event could be canceled or altered, we have have decided to offer athletes registered for this year's IM Florida event a $100 discount on the full distance 28th Great Floridian Triathlon should they wish to race. If you are an IMFL athlete interested in taking advantage of this offer, please email info@SommerSports.com.
We are also offering discounted entry into the Florida XtremeTri to all participants of the 2018 IMFL event. While not a standard full distance triathlon, nor a traditional triathlon experience, it is still a great way to reward yourself for all the training and sacrifices you made over the summer getting ready for IMFL. We're offering a $100 discount off of each single stage event, or $500 off the entire three stage, 300+ mile race across Florida. We also have shared crew members available to assist you with your journey if need be. Email info@SommerSports.com for details. Additional details on the race can be found at www.FloridaXtremeTriathlon.com