Posts Member

Get to the race and volunteer, or get to the site if it is available, go for a non IM brand Iron distance race, or sell your soul ;-)

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Good one. Didn't think of that one. I know the training packages can be steep, but really, if you don't have to fly to and get a hotel in City X twice (once to sign up, once to race), you are probably breaking even if you buy a training package.

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According to their site you can still get into IMoo for this September's race for $1250. That's $750 more than a general entry, $250 more than a community fund entry. It includes a training program, though that is probably of limited value at this point.

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Haven't given it much thought (I know, I rarely do), but if the traning program was local and it was like a group tour, then that would lessen the hurt. But you're right, not much value if the training group was 1,000 miles away.

What about overseas/International IMs? Technically, most Ironmans are still open. From Canada (Aug 24, 2008) to France (June 28th, 2009), there are more open (10) than closed (6). I know, you have to travel even farther to them. But if it means that 1) you are guaranteed entry, 2) you can wait longer to see how your training is going, 3) you may get a favorable exchange rate, and 4) you don't have to be on site (ie, make the trip twice), then it might be an option.

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cue Pink Floyd's "Money" ka-ching!!

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I'm going to go to IMC this year and stand in line.. if I'm lucky, they will let me volunteer. I'm only going to be there the afternoon of race day (after 6 hours of driving) - with the plan of joining the general entry line at midnight.

I figure I'm only going to do this once (a branded IM), so I may as well spend the time/gas money to get up there and make sure I get in. Even if I had to fly to FL I'd probably do the same thing. Screw staying overnight - just get in line :-) Make a party of it, you certainly won't be alone, and it's way cooler than standing in line for a iPhone.

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Here's the scoop.
I'm in ILMP next year. I told myself I'd do an IM every new age group and Indies in between. I'll be 55-59AG so next year is the year.
Went up to LP with the wife ("You ARE going to sign up right?" bless her.) A friend went with use who wants to do IMLP as her first IM.
Wife, friend and I Volunteered at the Boat House aid station from noon to about 12:45 am leaving after clean up. God it just poured rain all day, like 2003...nasty. Got the t shirt... registration opened at 9 a.m. on Monday, friend Janet and I were in line at 6 a.m. and it was already several hundred people long. Some guys had been camping out since 1 a.m.!
At 8:30 they split the lines.
Volunteers in one, just plain sign ups in the other. Your T-shirt got you into the volunteer line.
Just before 9 they started handing out vouchers.... To the Volunteers.
You filled out the voucher, a carbon less copy affair, with a code number on it.
At 9 they took the volunteer line first. It was quite long.
You go in...they check your form, check your ID, they keep a copy. You're gone. Done. You sign up on line at a later date using your code #. Entries are non-transferable. I was told that they will check the voucher names against the Volunteer list to ensure that some loser, slacker who didn't Volunteer, but managed to get a shirt, doesn't get in. The list is generated by on-line sign up which ends 10 days prior to the race. And besides, that wouldn't be good form anyway, would it?
(After the volunteer line was done, they started the non- volunteer line.)
A four hour volunteer shift is required.
We we worked for 12 hours or so. I saw plenty of people who worked their butts off for the shirt...and a few, and I mean not many, that showed, got the shirt, worked for maybe an hour, then split. Tsk, tsk.
It was a great experience and I'll blog about it later but thought I'd chime in here since I just went through the process.

Posts Member

Is there priority given to people who raced it this year? Or just volunteers?

I'm assuming there were people on-site who wanted to sign up who didn't get the chance?

Sigh... this was going to be my target race, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.

Posts Member

Looks like I'll be flying down to Arizona in Nov to volunteer and sign up, don't want to risk it. It will be a hassle but I really want to volunteer at the race before I actually do it. One, I'll get the chance to see the course and experience an IM from the other side. And more importantly, I want to give back to the sport. The volunteers at the 70.3 in Boise were amazing and really made me want to volunteer for an IM. I'm going to consider it day one of my IM training program.

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I know it might be embarrassing initially but if you speak to your Doctor he can help you out so you don't report too early in the future ;-)

Posts Member

Then let it be your target race! Volunteering was not a hassle...it was fun and exciting and wet and fantasic and...I mean come on...handing cups of stuff to the winner and Desire Ficker and and cheering folks who have 8 minutes to make the cut off to the finish a half a mile away...being in the mix...Hassle? No, Awesome...!
Hopefully you didn't mean Volunteering is a hassle...without 'em...no race!