Anyone been to the awards banquet in Kona after the race? Just wondering if it was a worth while event from a fan’s standpoint.
It really is a pretty impressive event and if you are there for the first time I would say don’t miss it.
Absolutely! Very motivating, and the videos are great. Never a waste of time in my mind…not for the food, but the atmosphere.
Free beer … nuff said.
There are parts of it that are great and there are parts of it that go on WAAAAAYYYYY too long. One year I remember realizing that I had been sitting in that plastic blue chair for 4 hours. The day after an IM, this becomes a whole new endurance event. Show up later, the food will all still be there and I don’t think the actual event really starts until an hour after they open it and start serving food. Then get up and walk around somewhere in the middle when they are handing out age group awards, CEO awards, etc.
Combination of prior posts: first, nice to drink a few cold beers and have one last moment of special attention before returning to our real lives. Yes, it does go on long, but it is much better than any other post-race event (lunch/dinner). You should definitely plan on attending.
Last year, I was there for much of it, but had to catch a flight. It worked out perfectly since right after I left, it started pouring! Timed it perfectly. I only wish my timing had been better the day before…
Very attractive group of attendees. Lean and tan, many dressed to impress and wearing something other than the race face. If you don’t want to pay for a ticket, you could just hang out at the entrance/exit and enjoy the views. 
The times we’ve skipped it we were flying out on Sunday to be back at work Monday morning. It’s definitely not my first choice to be packing the bikes on Sunday morning and checking out by noon. I’d much rather be lounging at the beach.
The banquet is fun and entertaining, but truly an insignificant and costly (for guests) event. That being said, if you’re going to be on the island on Sunday night you might as well go.
Yes, it was a really good in 2007 when we heard Chrissie “Who Is That?” Wellington speak after her first win and when Macca got his win.
Chrissie’s speech was very funny and the show was impressive.
i’ve only gone as a participant, so this might not be addressing what you’re asking. however, each time i’ve been seated with plenty of non-participants. and i think their experience was pretty much the same as mine: it’s all about experiencing the race the day before. “we” were all in it, lived it, had our own personal experiences with it. so it was a shared experience, and the banquet is a gathering of all those who lived it, one way or another.
for me, good or bad race, it’s been a celebration of just being part of it and sharing that with whoever else was at the table around me. i definitely don’t put it in the category of optional activity to blow off if i feel a little tired. it has, to the contrary, energized me and put a nice ending to the whole week.
all in all, i say yes, go, because it’s very social and upbeat…but, again, i’ve only done it as a participant.
peggy
I second all posts. Both times I was there as a participant it was worth going
My wife also enjoyed attending.
Mike
Thanks for the input. I hope to use the whole weekend as motivation for my first crack at going long at St George in May.
2000 Kona, my first/last time to qualify. I was hanging out at the entrance to the awards to get some pics with the my inspiration athletes. Tim Deboom walks up, has his brother snap a pic of us and then gives me his entry ticket into the banquet.
We chatted a few minutes about “my” race and I was able to walk into the banquet with the winner, what a highlight to my Ironman Kona experience.
I own a running store and that pic of us along with my finish line photo sits next to my cash register.
Anyone been to the awards banquet in Kona after the race? Just wondering if it was a worth while event from a fan’s standpoint.
I’ve raced kona 7 times but volunteered probably just as many. Not sure who you contact but I’ve volunteered to work the carbo and awards banguets as a greeter.
What you do is wear an aloha shirt wait as folks come in and escort the vips to their sitting area… then when everyones seated you get to go grab some food. Also help setup lights before and clean up after but not required for this job… I enjoyed this alot and would see the same folks each year working.
thats one way to do it but not sure how they do it now last time I did that was 2002 although I worked a few minutes in 2003 just to talk to the folks I knew even though I was racing.