I'll be 50 this summer. From my vantage point, the major "visible" races do cost, but next weekend, for instance, I am competing in a local duathlon at a cost of $20. The local triathlon put on by the same guy at the end of the summer will cost $40. He limits that race to 200 people. I may never do an Ironman; the monetary price is too high and the price your body pays may be too high in the end (see sick sinus/ pacemaker discussions in this forum). Ironman? I don't have the need to finish one. But I would pay the current price to enter the national championships and pay the higher entry fee to compete in the ITU worlds. Some people go the Taj Mahal to say they did it. I'd pay to do Alcatraz once at the current price. As Alcatraz race directors keep seeing this kind of statement, they'll keep raising the price until the supply curve crosses the demand curve. And why not? That's capitalism!

What a great reply. I dont know what my limit would be...I have not found it yet. Figure, $500.00 (just about) to enter...another $3000.00 for travel and hotel...and add bikes, food, shoes, and every other thing needed...I could have got a bigger house. But, I am glad I didnt.

---

----------------------------------------------------------

What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Some years I need a break and use my hard earned money for a ski vacation or a trip to the beach. I eventually come back and race again. Nothing can replace that high. But the local 40 dollar version will suffice whereas before it had to be the big event in the next state.

That's why I go slow. My cost per minute drops dramatically and I geta better deal.

I'm the same way with golf. You can say what you like about my skills, but my cost per stroke is the lowest in history. I golfed a 182 a few years ago.

I'm pretty sure(based on discussions we have had here and seeing how much people spend on tris) that you could put IM entries up to $750-$1000 and Kona at $1500 and people would keep signing up. Further, the people who really wanted in would get in because the price would begin to push people away. Nonetheless, I think that races would yield as much, or more revenue, as they do now. I am willing to bet that M-Dot is intentionally keeping race fees low (bite your tongue) so that the money can get spread around to the local vendors, hoteliers, etc, which they probably get a cut of.

USAT/M-Dot have a pretty clear idea on the triathlon demographic, and when they see that people will spend $3,000-$6,000 to get to an Ironman race, and only $500 of that is race fees, they know they can keep pushing things up. I know that I'm not the only one who paid damned near $1,500 for a hotel at IMLP last year.

I would guess that they are trying to balance the desire to continue raising fees with the goal of maintaining the aura of IM races that includes selling out in two days, limited numbers of venues, etc.

---

------------------------------------------------------------