Am I reading correctly? No more qualifying spots for Lake Placid & Florida…
I just got an email from Frank Ferrari saying the same…I had him all geared up to come to Epicman and Irontour.
What races have IMLP slots? This really is too bad if it is true. Things have truly swung the other way, where “racers” can no longer compete to get in to these things. While I am registered for this year, I was not going to register for next year, with the plan of trying to get myself into shape to qualify in 45-49 in 2010. Looks like I will have to part with my money early if I was a spot in IMLP 2010.
Derek…actually now I realize what is going on. Perhaps Mitch or Janet will post, but this is my guess.
IMLP used to be run by Graham Fraser. Graham is Mitch’s brother. It was easy for Mitch to get the IMLP and IMFlorda slots in previous years.
Now, the only IM run by Graham is IMC. WTC owns the US Ironmans. Thus no US Ironman slots at Muskoka, but there are still IMC slots. This is likely the only explanation.
Dev
Am I reading correctly? No more qualifying spots for Lake Placid & Florida…
This indeed could be the case. I don’t know for sure, but these could be some of the subtle changes that will be noted this year in the new ownership structure.
Previously, NAS had owned IMUSA and IMFL. Now NAS does not technically exist, and the WTC owns these events outright - at least that’s my understanding. As much as people liked to bash NAS, their was a lot of great things that they did behind the scenes, because they were really close to what is going on in the tri world, and one of those things was to offer, in a low key way, spots at various shorter races for some of their IM events.
Now, this is an issue that needs to be taken up directly with the WTC.
There is no rocket science to offering a qualifier series to your marquis events. That’s what Hawaii did starting in the mid 80’s even though you could also register and get in. Eventually you could not register and get in and you could only get in through qual.
I am not suggesting by any means that the Continental Ironmans should be by qual only (like IM Oz I believe). But there should be 10-20% of the slots spread out over a series of qualifiers that creates lots of hype for the events and allows people to compete for slots…after all, as much as people in North America hate to admit it, these things are competitions too with rankings and a clock, not exclusively there for participation only.
It is really too bad to see really competitive athletes like Derek Theriault shut out of LP. The guy has numerous sub 10 finishes and is a regular podium guy at the local events:
It would be one thing if he was shut out cause he did not register, and there were never ever any slots. But he and others did not register because there were slots allocated. Looks like Oceanside, and Florida 70.3 has no slots too at the moment…they say something about posting early in 2009
This is what I lifted from the link below:
http://www.ironmancenter.com/qualify/imnaqual.php IRONMAN CENTER QUALIFIERS
Ironman Center Races do NOT require that you qualify to enter AS LONG AS THERE ARE GENERAL ENTRY SPOTS AVAILABLE.
If the race is sold out, you can still purchase an entry by qualifying at one of the events listed below.
There may be Community Fund slots available.
Click Here for more information.
**2009 IRONMAN CENTER QUALIFYING RACES**
2009 qualifying events will be posted in early 2009.
You guys REALLY didn’t see this coming?
Man that really sucks. I have to think this will affect the field either in quality and/or quantity at the Chase. If you learn of any other qualifying races for IMLP or IMFL let us know…
This kinda counters the ‘good news’ that I read about the Chase bike course being modified for this year…bummer.
M~, of course, but not for this year, when hundreds of athletes through the continent have set plans for their year. That’s really the main point. I do think it is important to have some type of a qualifier series, given that they can have CEO Challenge, community fund, sponsor slots etc etc etc
JBell, I hope it does not change the quality of the field, as Muskoka Chase pretty well had the deepest field in Ontario+Quebec of any race of the year, only because of all the guys peaking to chase slots. We won’t get studs like Eric Fernando showing up all the way from Detroit (unless he wants to get to IMC). I’ll still be going, cause I it is just a a fun race and my family likes the trip to Muskoka.
I think it would be cool to have a qualifier series of some sort.
I figured this would happen this year with all the changes coming down. It made sense for the WTC group to do this but I agree, it does suck. Even though there was no chance I would be grabbing one of those slots. 
If they reserved 25% of slots for a qual series, then the qualifier option would be really viable for a lot more people and would create way more pull for a qualifier series. Right now you pretty well have to be a podium guy. Ideally the series would have enough slots that if you finished between 10-20 in your age group there is chance of a rolldown slot. This makes the qual series much more exciting. You don’t want it to be something that only podium guys have a hope of getting in on. Let’s reward the guys that busted there asses to move from 35th in the age group last year to 15th this year and then stand around for the rolldown and get a slot
Makes a lot of sense if you’ve just recently to set up a 70.3 series… and not just for 25% of the slots either (and certainly not just 50).
Indeed. Mitch Fraser confirmed this to me earlier this month since I was considering going to Lake Placid… 
I then contacted the folks at WTC and here is the new policy:
"You may only ‘qualify’ for the following races at the following events:
Ironman Coeur d’Alene—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida
Ironman Lake Placid—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida and Ironman 70.3 Boise
Ironman Louisville—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Boise, Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island
Ironman Canada—Ironman 70.3 California and Ironman 70.3 Florida for 2009 only, 2010 they will not be offered at these races (The other IMC qualifiers are Muskoka, Great White North, and Oliver Half.)
Ironman Wisconsin—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Boise, Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island
Ironman Florida—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Boise, Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island
Ironman Arizona—Ironman 70.3 California, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Boise, Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island
Each of the Ironman 70.3 races listed have 50 spots to the full Ironman events. Let me know if you have further questions."
But there should be 10-20% of the slots spread out over a series of qualifiers that creates lots of hype for the events and allows people to compete for slots…after all, as much as people in North America hate to admit it, these things are competitions too with rankings and a clock, not exclusively there for participation only.
I agree completely. However, we have gone too far down the road of the general entry method of getting into the events. And as much as you and I agree on this, it’s not what the general tri population doing IM events want to see. Their was talk a number of years ago of making up to half the spots at IMC for qualifiers. Well - their was a massive out-pouring of opposition to this. Many were completely out-raged that they would even consider this. So they did not do it and we have what we have now. General rush entry, first come-first-served, for most of the field. Some Community Fund spots that you pay quite a bit more for, and some qualifying spots.
Last time I raced IMC was in 1997. I mailed my entry in, . . . . . . . in March!!! 
Ahhh, the good old days!
"You may only ‘qualify’ for the following races at the following events:
So it appears, that you ca still go this route, it’s just that they have changed the which races you can qualify for at which events - if that makes any sense.
I am guessing that because IMC is still not outright owned by the WTC, that it’s going to be slightly different, and it appears that it is.
That’s how I understand it.
The policy might change again, of course. The qualifying series make sense to me (but again, I would benefit from it).
Cheers,
Alex
Alex, what they sent you and what is up on the Ironmancenter.com website (which I pasted above) are slightly different. What is on the website is “stay tuned”.
I hope there are more 70.3’s in the future with Continental IM qualification.
Dev
What is on the website is “stay tuned”.
Hence my shooting an email to them. It took several back and forths and they had to escalate the issue before I got an answer. (My first contact explained to me that it was not like IMH… no qualification!)
Anyhow. That’s the information I got and I am merely passing it along. They might or might not update the website: like Fleck said, NAS didn’t advertise heavily on the slots up for grab for regular Ironmans and WTC may purposefully keep a veil on it as well. (That is until they decide on a strategy.)
Merging the WTC and NAS structures is much higher priority right now…
Cheers,
Alex
Hi Dev,
I agree with you, and I completely understand the decision to take away the qualifying spots in Muskoka. Unfortuantely, it will probably have an effect on Muskoka. In my case I will probably go with a community slot for IMLP. The cost of going to Muskoka (registration, gas, hotel, food, time off from work…) comes out to close to the amount of a community slot. I won’t even have to worry about getting a flat on the bike… I love the Muskoka race but I guess I will have to pass on it this year.
Regards,
derek
Hi Dev,
I agree with you, and I completely understand the decision to take away the qualifying spots in Muskoka. Unfortuantely, it will probably have an effect on Muskoka. In my case I will probably go with a community slot for IMLP. The cost of going to Muskoka (registration, gas, hotel, food, time off from work…) comes out to close to the amount of a community slot. I won’t even have to worry about getting a flat on the bike… I love the Muskoka race but I guess I will have to pass on it this year.
Regards,
derek
…good, then you can buy your community fund slot and come train with us at Epicman (June 5th) :-).