I know this is super early…but…
I was out on a group ride yesterday and was discussing future races with another rider…I told him I’d like to do Ironman Florida in 2008 as my first ironman. He laughed and said that I wouldn’t be able to get in unless I am at the race in 2007 to sign up. This has be pretty upset b/c if I hold off signing up for one of the north america series ironman races until November, I then miss all other entries for 2008. If I then don’t get in…I’d be totally bummed.
How valid is his statement? Will I not be able to register on my computer at noon on race day? What is everyone’s experiences with registering for this race?
Any suggestions?
I was thinking of maybe trying to get in to Louisville in August just in case.
If you show up at the race you are basically “guaranteed” a spot, but it is still possible to register on-line. Ironman Florida 2007 on-line registration was full in the first hour, so you’re taking a chance if trying to register on-line. Basically they tally up the number of people who register in person and any additional spots are available on-line later that day.
If you decide to signup in person, registration is actually the morning after the race. You’ll need a photo ID and although the line is long, it goes quickly. An added benefit to being there in person is that you don’t have to pay for your entry for about six weeks. You just supply your info and sign your name and six weeks later you pay (at active.com) using the code you are given at the race.
On-line for 2007 sold out in 35min,i lucked out and got in, because i will already be there i am revolving my 2008 season to be back there again just cuz of the sign up factor.
If you get shut out online you can also get a slot at various 70.3 races like Ralph’s, Florida a few others. Also Muskoka (non-M-dot) has a lot of slots too. IM Florida was also my first and I got a slot at Muskoka.
IMFL 07 is my first ironman. I signed up on active last november and it was really hard. If you are going to try to do it you have to do a few things. Make sure you have a solid internet connection and if you can practice signing up for another ironman or a 70.3 so you know what the questions will be that are asked and you are familiar with the screens. I practiced a few times with IMKY since it took a bit of time to sell out. Then on the day after the race just sit on your computer starting about a half hour before the start time and just keep clicking refresh till you get in. Then bust out the info as fast as you can!!! The site was soooo bogged down it took me close to a 1/2 hour to register which is pretty scary when you think that registration sold out in the first 34 min. Their are only about 4 pages worth of info to fill out and click through but once you click submit it takes FOREVER to get the next page. Seriously was taking 5-7 min per page submit. I was so scared that my connection was going to time out but it held up. My only other suggestion is only fill out what is absolutely necessary, this is where practicing comes in handy. knowing what fields you need to fill out and having that info ready. If you do all that I think you will probably get in. Good luck!
A couple of years ago my partner and I signed up online, but it’s filling up much faster now. So this time we’re taking no chances. We’ll be driving over to PCB to sign up for 2008 the morning after this year’s race.
I have enough to worry about trying to beat the swim cutoff time without having to beat the online-registration cutoff first!
I signed up online this year. Had three computers, my roomate and parents all online right when openened to try and snag a spot. Probably overkill but it worked well.
Oh yeah, my roomate and Dad are doing the race too and they got in online as well.
Yes, someone can sign you up on site without you being there (one additional person per on-site sign-up is the latest policy that I know of).
Yes, you can register on active, but it will sell out in less than an hour and Active is notorious for having server issues during IM sign-ups.
Yes, some races will offer “slots” to the race. Sometimes they are done on a roll-down basis like the championship slots, sometimes they are “raffled” by throwing your name in a hat and they draw the winners - but you still pay the $450 entry.
You can always buy a Community slot like I did (which was partly to avoid the day after sign-up issue and because I raised money from friends/family/co-workers and some of my clients to help the charity portion). Those open a day or two after the race sells out and are only handled by mail and are also first come first served. The 200 IMFL slots were gone within a week of being open (I Fed Exed my entry overnight once they became available).
Best way to guarantee a slot is to be on site/have someone on site to sign you up. Everything else is a crap shoot …
