Got the following email from HQ in regards to changes to legacy program:
For ten years the IRONMAN Legacy Program has provided a pathway to the IRONMAN World Championship for athletes who have not previously qualified for Kona. Created to honor and reward the most dedicated and loyal athletes, the Legacy pathway has traditionally become available to an athlete after they complete 12 IRONMAN full-distance races.
Over the years the Legacy Program has grown in popularity and demand, and a waitlist was implemented to progress Legacy athletes into the IRONMAN World Championship at the next available opportunity. At this time it is necessary to make adjustments in order to continue to honor and reward our long-returning athletes, and ensure that IRONMAN World Championship slots are earned and granted through the Program in the spirit in which they were intended, while also minimizing the amount of years an athlete may be on the waitlist.
As a result, starting in 2024 the Legacy Program qualification process will change, requiring athletes to complete 12 full-distance IRONMAN branded triathlon finishes, and that athlete’s participation history must span 12 or more years. Two of the 12 full-distance IRONMAN triathlon finishes (one each year) must occur in the most recent two years before application.
The change will be implemented as of the 2024 Legacy Program acceptance year (applications open November 2023), allowing those on the cusp of qualifying under the existing policy time to do so.
A little confusing…So does that mean if you finish your 12th IM right before November 2023, then you can go ahead and apply right away before the new rules come into effect?
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
A little confusing…So does that mean if you finish your 12th IM right before November 2023, then you can go ahead and apply right away before the new rules come into effect?
It seems like it would have been much simpler to just start prioritizing the waiting list by how long ago you did your first IM. They wouldn’t even need to tell anybody.
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
Don’t worry about him or other douchey comments. These are the people holding the sport back.
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
Why is that a douche comment? It’s a valid point for an event called “world championship”. I understand that the WTC does what they want because they’re privately owned, so they can invite whoever they see fit, and they can also say folks who’ve raced a lot can make it etc. That’s their prerogative. But at the same time, it somewhat contradicts the notion that it’s a world championship.
A little confusing…So does that mean if you finish your 12th IM right before November 2023, then you can go ahead and apply right away before the new rules come into effect?
It seems like it would have been much simpler to just start prioritizing the waiting list by how long ago you did your first IM. They wouldn’t even need to tell anybody.
That seems like a really good idea. The only issue would be some people are already on a waiting list with ‘guaranteed’ spots for 202x. Would someone who completed their first race back in 20** knock someone down the guaranteed list then?
LOL. I predicted Ironman would have to keep moving the goalposts since the beginning of the legacy program.
This is a good change though.
I know personally a dude and his wife who raced twice a year to finally make it and they split the year after getting to Kona.
Racing multiple Ironmans a year chasing a legacy spot really isn’t good for balance in life.
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
Why is that a douche comment? It’s a valid point for an event called “world championship”. I understand that the WTC does what they want because they’re privately owned, so they can invite whoever they see fit, and they can also say folks who’ve raced a lot can make it etc. That’s their prerogative. But at the same time, it somewhat contradicts the notion that it’s a world championship.
Do you think that was really an, “honest question” or do you think he was trying to make a point about undeserving people getting in the race? The original post says they are changing the program because it is so popular. It’s pretty clear people care about this.
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
Why is that a douche comment? It’s a valid point for an event called “world championship”. I understand that the WTC does what they want because they’re privately owned, so they can invite whoever they see fit, and they can also say folks who’ve raced a lot can make it etc. That’s their prerogative. But at the same time, it somewhat contradicts the notion that it’s a world championship.
Do you think that was really an, “honest question” or do you think he was trying to make a point about undeserving people getting in the race? The original post says they are changing the program because it is so popular. It’s pretty clear people care about this.
There is no doubt that some people care about this. There is also no doubt that some want to race Kona by qualifying for it the “old fashioned way”. I prefer not giving any “intent” to a post, especially someone I don’t know at all.
Maybe too simple thinking, but a KQ is earned through hard work, sweat, and likely tears. A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view. wow what a douche comment. I have done 17 iron man’s with a PB of 11:22 and yes I earned my right to race Kona in 2024.
Why is that a douche comment? It’s a valid point for an event called “world championship”. I understand that the WTC does what they want because they’re privately owned, so they can invite whoever they see fit, and they can also say folks who’ve raced a lot can make it etc. That’s their prerogative. But at the same time, it somewhat contradicts the notion that it’s a world championship.
Do you think that was really an, “honest question” or do you think he was trying to make a point about undeserving people getting in the race? The original post says they are changing the program because it is so popular. It’s pretty clear people care about this.
There is no doubt that some people care about this. There is also no doubt that some want to race Kona by qualifying for it the “old fashioned way”. I prefer not giving any “intent” to a post, especially someone I don’t know at all.
A “participation award” doesn’t fit there in my view
Intent seems pretty clear to me, and on his/her sixth post on the forum. Well done.
From the race’s inception, John Collins made space for ‘common’ athletes. Were it not for a legal challenge, we could still have the lottery system that was in place for decades that let in 100-150 athletes per year. And in that system, they only had to complete one half or full within a year of the race. Non-elite triathletes have always been a part of Kona, and I think it’s right for WTC to honor that.
From the race’s inception, John Collins made space for ‘common’ athletes. Were it not for a legal challenge, we could still have the lottery system that was in place for decades that let in 100-150 athletes per year. And in that system, they only had to complete one half or full within a year of the race. Non-elite triathletes have always been a part of Kona, and I think it’s right for WTC to honor that.
I don’t disagree with your statement. I don’t disagree with the views of the other poster either. There are multiple ways to go to Kona. I don’t have any issue with someone going in as a legacy athlete. I don’t have an issue with someone who prefers to go by being top whatever in their age group.
Off the top of my head, all distances in triathlon (the ITU also has events for AG), cycling has masters world championships, FINA has masters world championships. I’m sure there are plenty of others.
The difference with Kona (and other WTC world championship events) being that everyone races on the same course, the same day.
Wow so me whose doing number 1 this year will no longer be signing up for more than 1 a year now. I’ll stick to a schedule of 1 full and 1 half per year spaced out as much as possible.
And yes I care bc I was estimating it would take me 5-8 years instead of 12.
The only thing stopping me from doing it faster was $
Wow so me whose doing number 1 this year will no longer be signing up for more than 1 a year now. I’ll stick to a schedule of 1 full and 1 half per year spaced out as much as possible.
And yes I care bc I was estimating it would take me 5-8 years instead of 12.
The only thing stopping me from doing it faster was $
Or do 6 per year over the next two years??
Joking aside, why the rush to 5-8 years? By many accounts, there is nothing special about the actual Kona course other than being called the worlds. Enjoy the next 12 years traveling around to nice IM destinations. FL for me in Nov, hopefully Cozumel eventually… I might get my 12 in before 2023 but not that concerned.
