And there it is. Just over 48 hours to sell out.
Incredible! Good thing we registered as soon as we got home Tuesday evening.
See ya there :-))
Incredible indeed. I’m glad I registered Monday morning, all, gulp, $400.00 of me. Yipee!
Yes, I had a bit of trepidation committing $400 to a race that’s one year away, especially given that I can’t tell you what I’m doing next week, but I guess you have no choice if you want to IM these days. I wanted to do an IM this year, but they are all sold out except for Great Floridian, which I can’t do because my social planner tells me I have plans that weekend(yes, dear!)
I find it funny that IMNA, in their disclaimer(yes, I read it. I know, L-o-s-e-r!) states that paying the money up front shows a commitment on the racer’s part and that if they aren’t comfortable with it, then they shouldn’t sign up, and they go on with examples. But I think we all know what weird things can happen in an instant, even if you are following a proper training plan. I swim with two people who had to drop out of IM CDA three weeks before the race. One due to a leg injury, the other due to chronic fatigue. These were both seasoned Ironman racers, too.
I’m not going to complain (too much) about the cost, since this is not a cheap sport, but sometime I’d like to hear what other people think about the state of triathlon vis-a-vis race scheduling and sign up. In my case, I live in the northeast, so I could do a sprint every weekend locally, but there are not too many int’l, half, or full iron distance races within driving distance.(Ahhhh, California. I know, it’s crowded, expensive, and full of socialists, but still…) While I know that you have to plan months ahead to do an IM race, signing up a year early seems kind of extreme. But, at this point, I suppose they’ll have to start a lottery for many races soon.
for a forty-somthing gratuate student (me), $400 is a lot to plunk down whether it is 12 months, 6 months out, or the week before.
It is a long time for them to hold my money (wish I had a business that did that) but you get most of it back if you cancel with in 6 months or so.
I have to wonder… if there were one or two more races on the mainland… if they would still sell out as quickly. I think it is very likely that they would.
Well, you only get $150 back, which ain’t much. Plus, they project a certain number of dropouts and oversell the race by that much, so they are profitable right off the bat(which is why a lot of races start with numbers slightly higher than the official cutoff.) That’s why some races don’t have wait lists. They are pocketing money based on attrition rates.
And it’s not that I can afford it, or that I think it’s cheap, it’s just what it is, and the last time we all went off on the cost of triathlon tangent nobody went home happy, so I thought I’d spare everyone.
But I agree with you. It’s a lot to give them up front. They claim it’s because they spend a lot of time and money ‘developing’ the race, such that even if they have to cancel the race, the money is all gone, you’re out of luck, and their sole responsibility is to let you sign up next year(Well, thank YOU!) Kind of like when you buy a crackhead a 40 and tell him to wash you car. You come back in two hours, the 40’s gone, your car isn’t clean, something came up, but the guy promises to clean your car if you buy him another 40.
I don’t understand why these races sell out so fast but the Esprit Triathlon in Montreal (not that much further travel for most of you, actually might be easier because of the number of flights to Montreal, than LP) only had like 65 people in it last year and is only C$250. It isn’t run by IMNA but is the same distance. So it doesn’t have Kona spots, but how many of the 1500 - 2000 at LP (I don’t know the number) are really going for those spots.
Just my .02
prereq - I have no interest in doing an IM race in the near future
1 - I think from an administrative point of view, they could do cancellations / transfers a lot closer to race date than 6 months. We’ve discussed this before, charge a transfer / cancel fee, increase their profit.
2 - I also think that IMNA needs to go the route of IM Australia, and have qualifying events for the big show(s). Maybe offer up half the slots or so to the general public, and then have the rest of the slots offerered up in qualifying races. Halfs and Oly’s, who would also have to pay a license fee to offer up the slots…once again…more profit for them, and the die hards wouldn’t have to commit a year in advance. Seems like a win-win to me.
I’m not unsympathetic to your point of view here, but here’s what I finally decided. We can’t complain about both the price of race entry and the lack of money for the pro’s. the WTC wants Hawaii to be the biggest payout of the year, plus each IM has a fair purse. Sure the WTC is still making money, but I’ve switched to thinking that I’m helping pay the pro’s salary, instead of whining about lining the WTC corp fat-cats pockets.
maybe I’m dreaming.
I think that no matter what it is bullshit that if you cant make it - you can not sell, trade, offer, give, donate or what ever your “spot”. Best thing for IMNA is that more people drop out.
I’m not going to complain (too much) about the cost, since this is not a cheap sport, but sometime I’d like to hear what other people think about the state of triathlon vis-a-vis race scheduling and sign up.<<
DISCLAIMER: I have NO, repeat NO, urge to do an IMNA event. I’m not a lemming. Note, I did do the first IM Cali (2000) and Cali Lite 2002.
There ARE other IM-distance races in the U.S. which are still open and provide an excellent race experience. No, they won’t work for you if you’re a Kona whore, but 140.2 miles is 140.2 miles.
I’ll be at Ultramax again (fabulous race last year, except for the 8.000 feet of climbing on the bike). And, I’ve signed up for CaliforniaMan 2004. And if you want to combine a great holiday with a race–IM NZ can’t be beat.
As for the early sign up–ha. I live in Calfornia where even the sprints sell out.
Very true, but you also have multiple non-IMNA races that are within driving distance. I’m no IMNA addict, but Lake Placid is the only Iron distance race within driving distance that I am aware of(I live near Boston) and I didn’t want my first IM distance race to include shipping all my crap and flying 6 hours. I think I was spoiled because my first tri was 3 miles from my house, and I hate travelling(but I like going places!) (Sadly, when I was in Lake Placid last month for Tupper Lake(GOOD RACE!) I discovered that many of the restaurants in the area aren’t that good. At least, the 6 or so we went to.)
And yes, I do have delusions of Kona, if only to do it once. Partly because it gives me the excuse to go to Hawaii for something besides just vacation. My wife gets the Hawaii vacation, I get to do The Big Show, everybody’s happy. I’ve been thinking of Lanzarote too, but not for my first IM. Apparently I’m both mad and a glutton for punishment.
Beyond that, I’m just in this game to find something out. I’ll let you know when I figure out what it is.
ry true, but you also have multiple non-IMNA races that are within driving distance<<
Ah yes, the location issue is a problem. Wasn’t there some rumor of an IM-distance race in the NE? Maybe MD or somewhere?
I’ve been thinking of Lanzarote too, but not for my first IM. Apparently I’m both mad and a glutton for punishment.<<
HA! Yes you are. I know a couple of guys who have done Lanzarote and they speak highly of the experience. They are certified mad.
I’ve done two IMUSAs (01 and 02), and I’ve never regretted a penny of the $400 I spent on these races. I will do IM WI this year, and went online Monday morning to register for Lake Placid for 2004.
Call me a Kona whore, or a Lake Placid Whore, or an IMNA apologist, or a fink for the man, or just a plain sap. I really don’t care. I’ve loved every minute my Ironman experiences.
Call me a Kona whore, or a Lake Placid Whore, or an IMNA apologist, or a fink for the man, or just a plain sap. I really don’t care. I’ve loved every minute my Ironman experiences.
Good for you! That’s the great thing–there are CHOICES!
So how much would you pay? I dont think IMNA is planning on raising entry fees significantly in the near future so this post is purely theoretical, but we all know one way to slow down the sign up rate is to raise prices. So how much is too much? How much would you pay? I can easily see the price doubling till people really start to slow down their entry rate.
Boomboom
So how much would you pay?<<
Money has nothing to do with it. I just have no urge to do any IMNA event. That may change. Or not.
Well, that’s a good question. And one person’s answer may be based on reasons totally different but just as valid as anyone else’s. I might be willing to pay more as a single guy with no family to support and a good job. I can tell you that I didn’t bat an eye when I saw $426 pop up as the final price when I signed up yesterday.
…I forgot to add “lemming” to my list of names.
Well, I’m just glad the temptation to register has been removed. In the next 12 months, I’m starting my own business and raising my first child (7 months old yesterday). In July of next year, I’ll likely either have a newborn or a very pregnant wife. 2004 is not a good year for me to do my first Ironman.
Instead, I’ve set a goal of doing a 5 hour half-ironman. I figure the training will take smaller chunks of time than ironman training, and the base of fitness will do me a world of good when I start training for LP 2005.
Lee
On the topic of “Ye Gods, these races are expensive!!” I’m giving in to an ugly impulse to bitch here with regard to what you get for your $$ at Lake Placid. Disclaimer: I’m in a particularly crabby mood after three hours spent sitting in the plane on the tarmac at O’Hare yesterday with NO AIR CONDITIONING less than 48 hours after completing an Ironman. Proceed with caution!
I guess I’m spoiled, having been privileged to do IMC four times, but LP simply can’t hold a candle to IMC. Well, in terms of scenery, yes, it can hold a candle, but in terms of race organization, LP has a L-O-N-G way to go.
Specifics? Well, for starters, the finisher’s T shirt. I think I have a new wash rag for my car. Although you could BUY a gorgeous T-shirt after the race with beautiful colors and graphics and a big splashy FINISHER emblazoned across the front. That was so incredibly crass I can’t find the words! At IMC when you finish you get a really nice shirt, a towel, and a hat. If you wanted these things at LP, you had to BUY them. Hell, they didn’t even have frickin’ towels in the changing tents, which would have been particularly useful in light of Sunday’s conditions.
I wasn’t able to get to the carbo load, but at the Awards banquet they ran out of food. Just as well, given the quality of it. Mind you, none of the IM’s ever has very good food at the carbo/awards banquets, but they usually have enough of it.
At IM USA you are required to walk your special needs bags to the drop off point before the race start— nearly a quarter of a mile away from the transition area. Yay. At IMC (and Hawaii, for that matter) there are large boxes where you drop these bags as you enter the transition area before the race. Ahh, easy!
And I’m sorry, but that location for bike special needs is sheer stupidity—you get your bike bag within about 100 meters of a slight downhill followed by a series of tight uphill/downhill turns in town. In order to have any hope of dealing with the stuff in your bag you are forced to stop, you don’t have the option of continuing to roll along, rifling through your bag on the move. This is BASIC, and the organizers really ought to realize this. It’s entirely possible that they do, and have simply made the choice that the current location of the bike special needs is the most convenient for them, but I can tell you it ain’t “convenient” for the athletes. I lost some crucial calories because of this arrangement, and paid for it on the run.
A big concern for everyone is fully understanding how the transition area “flows”. Well, guess what, no map of the transition area was ever provided. Sure, they showed a video of the transition flow at the Athlete’s meeting, but then told us “Oh, that video is 2 years old and things have changed a little bit.” But they didn’t tell us HOW they’d changed.
Chaos reigned in the finish area with regard to family and supporters trying to find/get to their athletes after they’d finished. There seemed to be no organization for this particularly crucial element, and a lot of people were really upset about it. Oh, and then a lot of families were consuming the food that was intended for the athletes. Loved that one.
There were just a lot of little things like that, little things that make a big difference on a day as hard as Sunday was.
OK, so there’s my bitchfest. I will, however, do the race the justice of pointing out the positives: GORGEOUS scenery. Truly challenging course—when you’ve finished that bike ride, you’ve done something to be proud of for life (with or without a monsoon!). Fantastic marathon course. I didn’t even really mind the loop format, which I had figured would be REALLY psychologically difficult. The town of Lake Placid seems to be slowly catching up to Penticton in its enthusiasm for the race, and every single volunteer was wonderful.
I guess my disappointment stems from my misguided belief that, since Graham Fraser is directly involved with both IMC and IM USA, IM USA would be on a par with Canada. Not the case. I had thought, hey, they’ve got the formula down pat at Canada; I’m sure they’ve just made a carbon copy of all the crucial elements at LP. But that wasn’t the case.
So, yeah, I did feel a bit short-changed in the quality control department. I don’t think IM USA should be as expensive as IMC, but I understand it’s a business. And they have ENORMOUS demand for all of these races and can easily get away with charging the same amount for all of them. People want to race, they want the challenge. And I guess most folks who haven’t been fortunate enough to do IMC would never know the difference, so I really should probably just shut up and let them all believe that IM USA is the bee’s knees! But CaliforniaMan really is looking pretty enticing…
bitch, moan, whine, and complain mode OFF