Just look at the number of slots given out. Nowadays, the slots down roll down too far. You also want to look to see who is signed up, and look at their times from last years race if they did it. You can also check the entry list against other IM and 1/2 IM results. If you have the time, crossreference the entry list to the USAT rankings. Don’t forget to see who is ‘aging up’ into your age group, and who might be moving out.