We need more Ironmans!

[Daz]

With Germany and Austria filling up in weeks na d Switz about to fill isnt it about time a couple more iroans were instated? Maybe there arent the hawaii places available but thats not an issue to most. It would just be nice to have other options in the year, partic from Jan when a lot of people like to start entering races.

When would be here if there were any plans to introduce new ironmans? 2007 is a bit late but maybe there's word of possibilities for new 2008 events. Anyone heard anything?

I think it would be nice for Italy and perhaps either Belgium/Neth or Denmark to introduce one. Maybe even one further north or east europe?

I'm sure it has to grow one day - the demand is at a high right now.

[veganpower]

But IMUK didn't sell out last year did it?

[larmen]

Do you need Ironmans or long distance events?

Aparently there is one in Finland, for example, a few more in Germany (Roth, Ostseemann) and one in Holland (Almere).

Aparently Mdot goes with Hawai places and Kona is as full as it gets. There are still a few halfs that do have contracts with Kona places. But just like UK they run out and might get Clearwater places in the future to free some full distance places which can get used by other events.

IM Netherlands sounds good to me, nice flat. Praque would be good as easy to get to. Portugal and Spain have the supporting weather, just like Italy. And their people are sports mad, at least for cycling.
Or maybe some more in Afrika? They only have IMSA while everywhere else there are lots of them.

[tc]

I am surprised there isnt an early or late season IM in Italy.

There seems to be a dearth of events late season , apart from IMUK. So maybe they would have to count towards the following years Kona places as otherwise too close, but so what. The current number of Kona places at each of the existing IM's would have to decrease of course.

One every month in UK would suit me, no seriously.

So Daz, which one (or three or five) you gonna plump for then? CH is great but as a strong cyclist, you may fare better at IM France. Forget this Kona qualifying malarkey (unless you find some real good steroids ), i'd just do the race you most fancy, and you prob have an even chance of (not) getting a Kona place at any of em.

[Daz]

I do still want to be around at roll-downs mate for outside chance. Ive been around top10 twice in imuk AG and im improving a lot at moment, so why not keep trying? i can dream.

well theyre all filling up. im already entered into imuk07. i may decide to get up at crack of dawn on jan15 and get a germany place. but looking at diary of events lanzarote might be better idea as means I can do a few more LD events in the year.

btw, bit early but you interested in that double or tripleIM in virgina beach next oct? i find the idea v exciting. a guy on RW (but dont think we should hold that against him) did it this year and did very well. only prob for me (again) is the cost. flights gonna be expensive. so cant commit until mid-aug next year.

tc said:

I am surprised there isnt an early or late season IM in Italy.

There seems to be a dearth of events late season , apart from IMUK. So maybe they would have to count towards the following years Kona places as otherwise too close, but so what. The current number of Kona places at each of the existing IM's would have to decrease of course.

One every month in UK would suit me, no seriously.

So Daz, which one (or three or five) you gonna plump for then? CH is great but as a strong cyclist, you may fare better at IM France. Forget this Kona qualifying malarkey (unless you find some real good steroids ), i'd just do the race you most fancy, and you prob have an even chance of (not) getting a Kona place at any of em.

[andys]

I think it's been said that Hawaii is at capacity so they won't release more slots. So established races would have to give up the slots they're paid (and probably contracted) for to allow more races and more completition to their race. I thought with the 70.3 champs we'd see more Ironman races as it frees up some slots but it seems to have gone to far flung races like China (or was it Japan?).


(edit to correct spelling)

[ray]

think we just need another type of IM distance race, to be created to take up the left overs from the M dot races.

[Daz]

Is this all slots/places (inc the public that get through the ballot, etc), or just champ slots?
I know it wouldnt be popular stealing potential places off the public but hey this is a championship event. If someone just wants to do an ironman on hawaii then set up another event. Then open up some more global Hawaii qualifying events with the new qualiying slots acquired.

andys said:

I think it's been said that Hawaii is at capacity so they won't release more slots. So established races would have to give up the slots they're paid (and probably contracted) for to allow more races and more completition to their race. I thought with the 70.3 champs we'd see more Ironman races as it frees up some slots but it seems to have gone to far flung races like China (or was it Japan?).


(edit to correct spelling)

[badger]

Two words: Kona lottery.

That way you can get your long-distance kicks early on and potentially wade in at Dig Me Beach in October.

It's an investment in yourself. And you'd be miles in front of the average lottery entrant.

B

[tc]

yeah, i was thinking of giving WTC more ill-gotten cash and entering their Kona lottery. It seems you almost have to go the full hog and be a Passport Club member too, double rip off. EricW1951 who (jamilly) qualified for Kona at IMUK this yr said its worth selling your kids for tho.

Daz - have to see how the season goes for Double etc, and yeah, needs to be done on a budget too. Is that Virginia one the only double around?

And Ok then - you can dream on buddy. See you at Lanza then maybe - how do you fare in the heat - its doesnt affect me too much luckily.

[Daz]

Not a lot on IUTA: www.iutasport.com/Info_Sport_Events.asp?choix=2

A few triples (germany, france), but not a lot of doubles. But then there could be some unnoficial ones out there if you can hunt them down. Let me know if you come up with anything. I think an end of season one would be great - oct or nov at a pinch.

I love the heat, love that melting feeling. And I like hilly bike courses.

tc said:

yeah, i was thinking of giving WTC more ill-gotten cash and entering their Kona lottery. It seems you almost have to go the full hog and be a Passport Club member too, double rip off. EricW1951 who (jamilly) qualified for Kona at IMUK this yr said its worth selling your kids for tho.

Daz - have to see how the season goes for Double etc, and yeah, needs to be done on a budget too. Is that Virginia one the only double around?

And Ok then - you can dream on buddy. See you at Lanza then maybe - how do you fare in the heat - its doesnt affect me too much luckily.

[doug]

tc said:

yIs that Virginia one the only double around?

There are a couple of others, the calendar at www.iutasport.com hasn't been updated with the 2007 events yet.

The ones I know of are:
Neulengbach, Austria www.triathlon-neulengbach.at/
Levis, Canada July www.triathlon-levis.com/

[Daz]

doug said:

The ones I know of are:
Neulengbach, Austria www.triathlon-neulengbach.at/

ach, they havnt translated this yet. 25-28may. not bad but means you could potentially be in bad shape for the whole of june and not 100% til aug.

[Daz]

im saying that of course from my point of you ie someone whod be tres f-ed afterwards !!!!

[whisk]

Just be grateful that we don't have the situation (yet) that they have in North America where if you want to do a race you have to pretty much be there on site the morning after the previous year's race because they sell out so fast. It's starting to head that way for Germany and Austria, but at least we still have the choice of a few decent races that we can still get into without having to commit 12 months out.

I tend to think that getting a Kona slot via the lottery is a bit of a cheating way to get in and would prefer to be there because I qualified, but I guess it adds a bit of an ordinary Joe Public feel to the field. It also ensures more of a spread of speeds so that the course shouldn't (in theory) be so congested. Clearwater was primarily a qualifiers-only event (+ a few local lottery winners for the untaken race slots) and it was rife with drafting because so many people were coming out of the water together. I would have thought the lottery system is a nice little earner for the WTC too.

[foggy]

I hope we dont get like the US in regards to having to sign up there and then. Am doing an Ironman next year and know I wont be able to sign up for another straight afterwards but would like the option of entering something later on. Obviously there are the none-branded events as an option, but I quite like the idea of the big races.

[fix]

tc said:

I am surprised there isnt an early or late season IM in Italy.

As it happens, there is one : the Elba man, island of Elba, North Italy (close to Pisa) 30th September: www.elbaman.it/

You can also run the Embrunman in France is one of the toughest in the world, 15th August(http://www.embrunman.com/).

[tc]

I was thinking M-dot really but Elba looks ok although i think it was a bit of a faff to get to. Yeah - that Embrunman looks awesome.

[fix]

M dot events are interesting only if you want / think you can qualify. The non-M dot are just as good, often more friendly and cheaper. M dot is a fashion. You run a marathon, not a trade mark ® marathon ! The distance is important, not the corporate logo. My 2c

[namkinoib]

lanza