when you do an ironman what do they give you for doing the race.
t-shirt, some free samples they picked up from sponsors and a medle if you finish.
You also get all the memories and experiences.
One very exciting day (if everything goes as planned) and sore legs!!!
They give you 140.6 miles of custom catered, usually well monitored, sometimes completely closed race course. They give you the premier multisport endurance series in the world. They give you the distance, challenge, goal to shoot for and all the stuff that goes with it.
It is NOT about a T-shirt and a medal and a plate of spaghetti the night before.
Putting on an Ironman race is like invading a small country. It takes an enormous amount of work, time and money.
$400 is a lot of loot, but it is worth it for Ironman. As someone said, if they were $1000 they would all still fill up. Heck, bidding on a Hawaii spot on E-bay is over $25,000 right now.
Believe me, by the time you finish putting all the finishing touches on your bike and gear, traveling, buying nutrition and training, time away from work, gifts for the wife to make it even, souvenirs from the race, etc, the race entry fee will look like peanuts. I’m sure I spent well over $5000 on my last ironman including 3 weeks of travel. That’s why almost eveyone I met from the US was either a doctor, attorney, or engineer (and then there’s Tom).
I forgot to mention…a 138.2 mile long buffet!