As the site says now you can sign up the day after the race for 2010,but the WTC ran IM Louisville and it became all on-line registration right?
I thought WTC always ran IMUSA.
nope, it was run by NAS until Graham sold to WTC. On the one hand from a personal selfishness perspective, I hope for some onsite sign up, however, to be fair, to everyone, I think 100% online is the fair way to go…screw all the guys who are onsite (including myself). Frankly it is ridiculous that you have to go to Penticton, Placid, or Panama City to get into the race. I vote for 100% online (OK, how about 80% online, 20% through qualifier events…everyone has access and no special treatment to the people in driving range).
Dev
Ah. I can’t keep up. I was thinkin Canada was the only one not in the WTC circle.
When I did it on '05 I registered online in '04. I actually think the registrations should be divided. Set aside ~700 slots for onsite and the rest for online. Online only “punishes” the people who are there. Not everyone will have access to a computer when registration opens. And, volunteers would be able to register and almost guarenteed a slot which I think they deserve. Having volunteered at a couple, it is hard work!
To play devils advocate, I say put zero for onsite and 700 for “through qual races” and the rest online. If someone onsite wants to get in bad enough, they will bring a laptop and stay somewhere that has internet access :-). Those who can’t commit 365 days in advance, can train their asses off to qualify (after all, we are talking about racing and not touring, so why not compete for slots just like competing for jobs, spouses, promotions, or selling products to customers…its not like the rest of the world is any different…)
OK. How about this, Mr. Devil’s Advocate:
1/3 online
1/3 qualify
1/3 on site
That should be easy to manage 
But, it does make sense. Equal opportunity. Right now having to travel is so expensive that I’m sure it is keeping people out of IM who are good athletes.
When I did it on '05 I registered online in '04. I actually think the registrations should be divided. Set aside ~700 slots for onsite and the rest for online. Online only “punishes” the people who are there. Not everyone will have access to a computer when registration opens.
There’s no reason that registration has to the day after. What’s wrong with a few weeks or months after the race?
Gotta get them while they’re hot!
I’ll definitely disagree. While I don’t like the 100% onsite, having that option and giving volunteers first crack makes it a lot easier to man the aid stations. Right now, it’s just too much. My parents are the captains at the first bike aid station and they’ve got 60 volunteers for this year. They’re actually turning people down now.
I’d say make a certain number for volunteers only, some for qualification, and the rest online. No benefit for onsite if you don’t volunteer.
I was thinking 5 time lifeguards race 1 time free :-)0
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On the web site it said after the race sign up is 9:00-11:00 July 27 .But there is a new sheriff in town,subject to change??? Stand in a line to nowhere?
I can certainly live with the 33% per category spread (note I said 33% cause you need 1% of the field…or ~25 people for CEO Challenge and other special interest…)
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We had this discussion over on BT months ago …
Someone contacted WTC and they said that for this year the sign up/registration process will be the same as last year. On site, volunteer line, etc.
Which is good since I was already planning on heading up to LP to volunteer before the swap came about. It almost changed my plans. Still on the fence for other reasons (read - money), but the plan is tentatively still to head up there.
Excellent! Problem solved! Now, who do we talk to about this brilliant solution?
Don’t know, but if they had 20-33% of slots allocated to a qual series, that would be something in the order of 400-700x 5 or 2000-3500, spread over say 20 different 70.3 events around the world (which end up paying for those slots), each with 100-175 slots…this would make it much more feasible for MOP folks to qualify at a 70.3 given that many slots would roll down…qualifier slots than come into the ability range of a larger percentage of the field. Bear with the math above which is a bit fuzzy, the point I am trying to make is that with more slots through qual, it becomes less of an “elitest path” to getting into a race without having to register 365 days in advance.
Dev
Less of an elitist path is OK with me but then again, I’m not an elite I’m sure it would annoy the heck out of all those who are.
How about a lottery like Alcatraz, NYC Marathon, Mt Washington RR, and other races that don’t cause a controversy year after year. It may be a bit more work for the race organizers, but those races like IMLP would still fill up. You just wouldn’t have people feeling burned and and used by the race directors. You can come up with a dozens reasons why races like IMLP couldn’t do that, but isn’t it nice a few races treat their customers decently without trying to get every penny they can out of them.
General question for anyone: I heard a rumor that you would have to do a 70.3 to get into an IM now that WTC is running both. Yeah, I know, sounds ridiculous and I paid it little attention. Supposedly, at Boise 70.3 you could sign up for IM Utah 2010. Supposedly, the onsite registration people were saying this is how it would be to sign up for an IM race in the future.
I don’t buy it, but… Anybody else hearing these rumors?
That’s great (forcing people to do a half Ironman before allowing them to do a full IM)!
That’s great (forcing people to do a half Ironman before allowing them to do a full IM)!
I’m not opposed to the theory behind it, but, forcing someone to do a WTC race just for the honor of dropping over $525 on another WTC race … come on …
Again, all rumor, as far as I know. Anyone else hearing this?