A quick letter to Paula (who actually answers emails whereas Melody doesn't really)...explaining the refund/waiting list etc thing that I talked about in the props to IMNA thread. If we don't ask for things to move, it will not happen.
Something that would go a long way for many and would really help the image of IMNA, specially for those that have seen the sport evolves over the last 10 years or so...
It will probably be discarded, but, if you don't ask, you won't get anything....
Hi Paula,
something we've been discussing for a while now in the triathlon community but the question is this: why not have a waiting list (for AGers of course...I know you only deal with elites, but usually Melody doesn't answer to that stuff, so maybe you can forward that email to Graham) for Ironman races in North America?
So the deal is this. Right now, after 2-3 days, a race is full. Some people cannot commit a year in advance, quite a few will get injured training for an IM, others may have work commitments etc. So, AGers are asked to drop $450 a year in advance for a year they are not 100% sure to do. However, very few do withdraw from the race, maybe 10% or so. The other point is that if you withdraw, you get a rather miserable $150 back. Consdering most of this is done online, it really isn't justified. I understand that IMNA is a business, and businesses are here to make money. However, triathletes are the customers of this business and it is possible to implement a waiting list, have real refunds, make sure IMNA still gets at least the same benefits and make sure that triathletes do get something more substantial should something prevent them from racing. Technically, it doesn't guarante that IMNA makes more, but IMNA would not get less for sure, and it would certainly do a lot for its image.
Here is a suggestion:
1. when the race is full, start a waiting list
2. Allow withdrawal from a race up to 3 months before an IM with a $350 refund if you can't race, $100 for admin fees
3. from the moment the race is full up to 3 months out, when someone withdraw, the top of the waiting list get the spot.
4. it's not reasonable to have anyone enter later than 3 months out so close entries definitely at this time
5. from 3 months out to 6 weeks out, withdrawal with $150 back (as is the case now).
Now the waiting list thing is really not an overhead for IMNA. It really is a one day work thing. You simply write (or ask someone
to write) a little code that creates the starting list and replaces withdrawals with people from the start list, starting at the top.
(I do research and teach computer science, and I am fairly sure most beginning programmers wouldn't struggle too much with
writing something this simple).
There. Here is the idea. There are probably a few things here and there I haven't thought about, but the conclusion is that IMNA would still make at least the same benefit, this would be a decision most welcome by a huge part of the triathlon population, so, it is really a win-win situation.
Feel free to forward the email to Graham Fraser, or whoever might be interested.
cheers,
Francois
Something that would go a long way for many and would really help the image of IMNA, specially for those that have seen the sport evolves over the last 10 years or so...
It will probably be discarded, but, if you don't ask, you won't get anything....
Hi Paula,
something we've been discussing for a while now in the triathlon community but the question is this: why not have a waiting list (for AGers of course...I know you only deal with elites, but usually Melody doesn't answer to that stuff, so maybe you can forward that email to Graham) for Ironman races in North America?
So the deal is this. Right now, after 2-3 days, a race is full. Some people cannot commit a year in advance, quite a few will get injured training for an IM, others may have work commitments etc. So, AGers are asked to drop $450 a year in advance for a year they are not 100% sure to do. However, very few do withdraw from the race, maybe 10% or so. The other point is that if you withdraw, you get a rather miserable $150 back. Consdering most of this is done online, it really isn't justified. I understand that IMNA is a business, and businesses are here to make money. However, triathletes are the customers of this business and it is possible to implement a waiting list, have real refunds, make sure IMNA still gets at least the same benefits and make sure that triathletes do get something more substantial should something prevent them from racing. Technically, it doesn't guarante that IMNA makes more, but IMNA would not get less for sure, and it would certainly do a lot for its image.
Here is a suggestion:
1. when the race is full, start a waiting list
2. Allow withdrawal from a race up to 3 months before an IM with a $350 refund if you can't race, $100 for admin fees
3. from the moment the race is full up to 3 months out, when someone withdraw, the top of the waiting list get the spot.
4. it's not reasonable to have anyone enter later than 3 months out so close entries definitely at this time
5. from 3 months out to 6 weeks out, withdrawal with $150 back (as is the case now).
Now the waiting list thing is really not an overhead for IMNA. It really is a one day work thing. You simply write (or ask someone
to write) a little code that creates the starting list and replaces withdrawals with people from the start list, starting at the top.
(I do research and teach computer science, and I am fairly sure most beginning programmers wouldn't struggle too much with
writing something this simple).
There. Here is the idea. There are probably a few things here and there I haven't thought about, but the conclusion is that IMNA would still make at least the same benefit, this would be a decision most welcome by a huge part of the triathlon population, so, it is really a win-win situation.
Feel free to forward the email to Graham Fraser, or whoever might be interested.
cheers,
Francois