I am just curious what is the best IM event for the money. I just wanna do an IM distance but dont wanna spend too much $$ accomplishing that. What should I budget for a IM race anyways? Incld. hotel, fees, etc. Somebody mentioned that IM BRA is doable on $1700 (hotel +travel+registration) True?
How much did you blow on a single race?
I guess that depends where you live…?!
Well, you can stay @ $250/night @ IMLP or you could camp for a lot lesssssssssss… You could also rent a condo and share it with friends/familly which would be a lot lesssssssssss too.
So an IM on a budget is doable, it really depends what are you “requirements” such as hotel no camping, only me and my spouse & kids or my familly and 6 friends, etc…
also it depends where you leave. air fare (unless you use miles) are on a per person basis, so if you endup flying with your spouse and kids $1700 to Brazil is no longer possible assuming it is!
Fred.
It could cost Nothing,man .
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1127213;search_string=nothingman;#1127213
If you’re interested in doing Great Floridian, this one can be pretty cheap. I just bought an entry from someone for $150. (yes its legal for this race)
Hotels are pretty reasonable in the area and I’m flying round trip from Denver for $180.
I’m not really trying to do it on the cheap, but I figure for this race I’ll spend:
$150 race
$180 flight
$100 bike shipment
$200 Hotel
$150 Car
$100 Food
$100 misc.
Total: $980
We’re spending more than that for lodging alone at IMC
I’m curious about people’s experience with CAMPING.
I can sleep in almost any conditions, but wonder if camping is a good idea for an IM.
Or, in some areas I suppose there might be the option of getting a hotel for 2 nights (nights before & after the race), but then camping in the days leading up to the race.
I drive to IMAZ from Albuquerque, which ends up being about 75.00 in gas. I stay at my folks house which costs 0.00 and I go shopping at the grocery store about 100.00 for 5 days. total cost for IMAZ;
Registration: 475.00
Gas: 75.00
Food: 100.00
Total: 650.00
I’m curious about people’s experience with CAMPING.
I can sleep in almost any conditions, but wonder if camping is a good idea for an IM.
Or, in some areas I suppose there might be the option of getting a hotel for 2 nights (nights before & after the race), but then camping in the days leading up to the race.
Did it last year, alone, at IMC. It was OK. I napped whenever I felt like it, and if I felt like reading a book in the middle of the night I did that too! That made me yawn just now. Again this year, with my 2 kids. We’ll see how that goes…
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IN 2000 and 2001 I did the Great Floridian pretty cheap while living in Orlando.
Race entry fee 250 or 275, can’t remember exactly
Slept in my own bed
Food from kitchen
15 miles there and 15 miles back, 2-3 dollars in gas (guesstimate for a little over a gallon of gas for a Corolla)
$4 in tolls
Overall pretty cheap
After my experience at IMLP this year i’d consider camping. The only thing i’d try and do is link up with a STer or friend who’s doing the race and is staying at one of those 250+/night hotels. This way when you finish you have a place (very) close by to shower and change into some comfy cloths. Arrange to leave a bag with them in their room for this and pick it up the next morning (after registering for next year!) :).
I’d say doing a non-MDOT IM is your cheapest option, but if it’s an MDOT, IMFL is pretty cheap. We rented a nice 2-bedroom condo on the beach last year for $125/night.
This year, I did Eagleman 70.3 in June and camped for $20 (booked that through the race website) and really enjoyed that. If it rained, it would have sucked, and wouldn’t have been good with the family probably as there’s not much to do when you’re camping, but I was solo at that race.
Having done eight Ironman races (North America) I find your figures very very cheap.
$475.00 race.
$300.00 flight (average) per person.
$300.00 bike shipment (both ways).
$150.00 night for hotel (usually Wednesday/Thursday to Monday).
$400.00 plus for food for two for six days.
$xxx.xx for misc. tolls, race wear, etc.
Ironman is not cheap, unless you go two days before, eat Chef Boyrdee, buy nothing and leave asap.
Peace out!
i agree 100% with you. I was just saying that GFT is pretty cheap without really cutting corners.
I’m used to IMC and the 7 night min. stays etc. etc. so GFT is a bargain. 
IM florida is probably the best deal if you want cheap lodging. November is off season so rates are good at the condos. Staying in a condo you can cook your own food. The whole experience isn’t very cheap though. Things start adding up. Probably why I call my finisher’s shirts seven thousand dollar t-shirts.
Do you just want to go the distance, or do you want to do an IMNA race?
If you just want the distance, and you’re still living in Fort Worth, try Redman in OKC (redmantriathlon.com). Race is $250, hotel for one night could be had for $50. You could get from DFW to OKC on a tank of gas. Way less than $500 total.
I’m curious about people’s experience with CAMPING.
I’ve camped and done an IM without any problem at all but I do a lot of bike touring/camping so maybe I’m used to it.
If you want to do a race cheaply, enter a non M-dot, get in your car, bring a tent, pad, sleeping bag, cooking gear and you’re done. It doesn’t have to be expensive to do an IM, in fact, it’s more fun to do things no one else does.
I’ve done IMC 4 times now (i’m a student, so cheap is good).
The shittiest part about it is the minimum stay, and the inflated resort type rates. We found a place last year for $1300 for the week, kitchenette (saved on food costs), and split it 2 ways (2 beds).
Next year for IMCDA, i found a hotel at 70/night for the first night, and 50/night for the next 6.
Race fees + Hotel = $1000, vs. close to $2000 for IMC.
Food/etc - depends how much you eat/eat out, but if you get a kitchenette, it’s really no different than being at home for the week. Maybe some extra cash on snack type food for the bike.
Gas - I drove to IMC (just over 11 hours), and will drive to CDA. Long way, but significantly cheaper than flying. Maybe 200-300 in gas, depending.
For a continental race, I would budget at least 2000 or so, depending on where/how you stay, and who you split the costs with. Kona last year we found a place for $100/night, and split it 5 ways. Made the 14 days on the island cost about $300CDN. Flight wasn’t cheap, but all in all, i think it cost me the same as going to Canada - food being the biggest exception (hell of a lot more expensive on the island, even with a kitchenette).
I had a friend do brasil through a travel company last year…apparently based out of eastern canada, but i’m not 100%sure. he’s a med student, so I think it was reasonably cheap, but he’s also run out of student loans, so i’m not sure exactly how cheap… 
if you’re willing to not stay at the ritz while you’re at a race, or willing, at IMC for example, to stay somewhere not right downtown in the action, there are reasonable prices everywhere. At Kona, we were 6 miles away for 100/night, vs. at the start line for $400/night…your call.
At IMLP I came across a guy that was staying at the dorms at SUNY Saranac or whatever college is there. He said it was 40 bucks a night for a dorm room. That may be as cheap as it gets
Since I’m the family travel agent and have arranged for 50 IM trips over the years, I would say IMFL or Great Floridian would be your best bargains. I assume you would drive from TX, so IMFL would actually be much closer.
IMFl has many inexpensive condo rentals, all on the beach. If you stay a couple miles from the race and rent from owner, you will avoid the hiked prices and minimum stays. Plus, it is right on the beach, which is free family entertainment. Buy your groceries at WalMart and cook in the condo.
GFT entry is less expensive, but the difference in gas costs would offset that. You might save money by spending les time at GFT. We have come in Friday night before the race and left Sunday after awards. I don’t recomend that though.
The most we ever spent on an IM? You don’t really want to know, but I suppose it was new Zealand. That was airfare. It was worth it though.
Can you tell me what hotel are you planning to stay for the IMCDA that rate it really good.