Maybe they won spots? Don't they usually give away 40 spots or so each year among the pool of people who've registered for an ironman by X date?

it is the kukui wave you're talking about? because that's a lot more than just legacy.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I remember in the recent past my coach was taking on a new client who was already signed up for Kona. When I saw she was around a 15 hour Ironman and not a legacy qualifier, I asked my coach about it. Her response was "Ironman foundation". The same for thing for the guy who weighed a lot and lost some pounds and finished a bunch of Ironmans. He raised a lot of money for charity (something like over $100K). There was an article written about him. Me personally, I won't go until I qualify. I have mixed feelings about charity slots. It feels like a loop hole for wealthy people to punch their Kona ticket. Same with the Boston Marathon. Just my personal feelings on this.

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

I can see both sides of this.

I'd never take a spot in a qualifier race that I didn't earn, but I also recognize an organization's desire to do something positive. So as much as I might resent getting frozen out of Boston (which I'm perpetually a minute short of), or Kona (which I'm in no immediate danger of qualifying for), while I watch some celebrity that's 40 lbs overweight get in, I take some comfort in the idea that sitting home might get MS cured, or buy medicine for an AIDS patient, or dig a well in Africa.

The downside is wealthy people can essentially "buy" a spot they don't deserve, but it's not the first time someone rich got something that was out of my reach. All I can do is make steady progress toward the goal, and know that accomplishing it will give me a satisfaction that can't be bought.

Exactly!

I admit I was a little annoyed when I first saw the photo of this "much heavier than the normal Kona dude" on his bike in Kona. But he did raise a lot of money for a good cause. And somewhere in the world people are benefitting from his fundraising.

I do think it's a great idea for Ironman to offer foundation entries when general registration is full at other Ironman events (non world championships). You may have decided late in the season (for whatever reason) to do an event which sold out. But there is still an option to get in and at the same time, do some good.

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

I had a training buddy get in with Team in Training one year. He did lots of work with them in prior years, applied for one of I think 2 spots, had to write an essay on why he should go, and then go through multiple interviews to be selected.

He took the training very seriously, and had a good race. It's not all rich guys that buy their way in.

People who buy a spot do not generally think they've "qualified," or "punched their ticket" the way other do. They view the whole thing as an experience they can buy, just like backstage access to a concert. The one guy I know who does this kind of thing would never say he "qualified," is genuinely impressed with the athletic achievements of those who do qualify, and is an all around decent guy.

I thought that was only for the 40th anniversary last year? (a friend won a spot - it was pretty funny how our group's phones starting blowing up as soon as Mike Reilly announced his name)

The ceo and his mate from Vega got spots.
The Indy car driver said he was offered a free spot in 2011

Heaps of people get sponsors spots.

I have a mate that works for hoka that got a spot last year. Several from his company got one this year.

I figure about 400 people never qualify each year.

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The downside is wealthy people can essentially "buy" a spot they don't deserve,//

Of course they do, what are you talking about? There are like 10 spots that are up for auction, I believe all the money goes to charity(well hope it does). So the qualifying for those slots is how much are you willing to spend. Whoever spends the most, gets and deserves those particular slots. Other people raise a ton of money to get in, others work for sponsors, some dedicate their lives to doing 10+ ironmans. They all deserve to be there, dont be an elitist schlub.. Know the history of the race a bit, and it is apparent it was not just for race qualifiers.

I don't know what it is like now but it used to be that every IM race director got a slot along with all the Ironman sponsors and other assorted IM insiders .I was offered an Kona slot a couple of times at the IMC after party in Penticton back in the day.I know in 2004 in Australia they didn't know what to do with left over slots because our dollar was so low that people were turning down slots because of the expense of a trip to Hawaii.I don't know who got those ones.

My bigger 'problem' with some events (not saying WTC do it at Kona here - I don't know) is that the organisers profiteer from charity slots.
London marathon is the one I know most about - and they charge charities sevetal times the price that a 'normal regular' runner pays (ie vs those entering via the lottery or a run club slot or good-for-age qualification).
I've no quarrel with the actual charities or the men and women who take charity slots and work hard to do good. I applaud them. But the organisers taking 3 or 4 or 5 times the 'normal' entry fee off the charity is plain taking the piss.
London marathon certainly.
(And on top many England Athletics clubs were shat on 2 or 3 years ago by the LM organisers when they reduced the club allocations last-minute.. but the organisers thought it was ok as places were still available via charities for those crapped on (which just coincidentally made them lots more £££).

Apparently there is a special “lottery” of sorts for Hawaii residents as well. Rode with a guy on Thursday before the race who was doing his first Ironman at Kona on Saturday. He told me they give around 20 spot a per year like that. He was very chill about it, had obviously prepared for, and was just excited about doing it and enjoying the experience.

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Mark Saroni
____________________________________________________________
COACHING | TRAINING PLANS
MS Kinesiology | USAT LII | USAC L3

Feels like it? It is a loophole!

I reckon it’s important that someone still wears Hokas at that race.

(I kid!)

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Dan Mayberry
Amateur a lot of things, professional a few things.

The whole idea of who should or shouldn't be there is entirely subjective however. There's nothing inherent or natural about any of this. It's a system that has been made up to allocate a relatively arbitrary number of spots in an event composed of arbitrary activities. The system is intended to accommodate a number of competing purposes, all aiming, presumably to sustain the IM brand and maximise profits. I expect the biggest element is to ensure the reputation, and desirability of the Kona event as that performs a central role in advertising the IM brand and all IM events. However, while IM need a desirable product they also need to provide themselves ways to publicise it. Organisers are clearly accommodating celebrity involvement for media exposure, and facilitating charity involvement to cultivate feel good stories.
I think it's an error to attribute "worthiness" attributes for gaining a spot. It's all a construct. Even if you qualify with an AG placing, this is not a pure and equal means of entry. Did you race an easier or harder course? Was the field as tough as others? Could you afford good equipment and good training facilities? Could you afford the time to train? Did you have access to a coach, and a pool or suitable open water? Are you in good health? Are you "genetically fortunate" as an athlete?

There is no useful measure for "deservingness" other than those we've made up. If they include ability to buy a spot, then that's the system.
I think it's more relevant to question the value we put on qualifying. Surely someone who works just as hard and just as smart but may not qualify for other reasons, is deserving of the same regard as those who go to Kona? If we think the athletic effort is the important element then that's what we should use as the score. Why use Kona qualification as a proxy when we know it's a poor one?