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Post by Peter on Dec 7, 2022 8:05:42 GMT 8
I still think Kona is the real money spinner for Ironman Corp Kona entry is $1500 USD So with the exchange rate plus active fee of 5% is it, entry would be AUD$2351.62 Fark me thats expensive for a 1 day race. Then add on your airfares and accommodation
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Post by andrewearlwood on Dec 7, 2022 10:50:13 GMT 8
I still think Kona is the real money spinner for Ironman Corp Kona entry is $1500 USD So with the exchange rate plus active fee of 5% is it, entry would be AUD$2351.62 Fark me thats expensive for a 1 day race. Then add on your airfares and accommodation For old triathlon tragics like me, and I reckon there are heaps of them, … worth it. Let’s face it. If I got a slot I’d probably take 3 months off work to train and do it (so that’s between $80-120K lost right there), invest in a bunch of new kit and a coached training program. It would be an exercise that would set me back over 100K, so a $2K entry fee would be the least of it.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Dec 7, 2022 10:53:12 GMT 8
But, hey Peter - you have actually done this race - what do you reckon the course - and township - could handle as a maxImum number of athletes on course if they ran two transition areas (pier and car park)? Would that be feasible in your opinion?
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steve
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Post by steve on Dec 7, 2022 11:03:16 GMT 8
I guess the real issue is just how big an influx of tourists Kona can sustain over the IM weekend. This year, with 5000 athletes and supporters, prices of stuff were excessive and apparently the place was way overcrowded. But I suspect that the town could support a 1 day race with somewhere between 3500-4000 athletes racing. WTC smells money, and they're gonna chase it. They're going from one "world championship" to two, with twice the opportunity for selling registrations, sponsorships, exhibit space, merchandise and the list goes on. They'll be trying to figure out how expand it into two reality TV shows in the US. They'll get incentive money from at least the new location. They might be able to expand the number of slots in Kona, too. Then they'll match it at the new location and make even more money.
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Post by roxii on Dec 7, 2022 11:18:28 GMT 8
If they were smart (instead of just greedy) they would/ should have started this before it got too late. Now they don't have any bargaining power, they NEED a new venue,,,,, quickly. If they had tried to sell this to a potential new venue before Kona gave them the ultimatum it would seem like a great tourism proposal, but now any potential venue knows they need a new home quickly and can leverage that against Ironman along with the negative feedback that Kona has already made public.
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Post by Peter on Dec 7, 2022 11:21:50 GMT 8
But, hey Peter - you have actually done this race - what do you reckon the course - and township - could handle as a maxImum number of athletes on course if they ran two transition areas (pier and car park)? Would that be feasible in your opinion? Don't know. I havent been there for 10 years. But one thing for sure. Kona is a sh!thole drug riddled community outside of the wedneday to Sunday of Ironman week.
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Post by Peter on Dec 7, 2022 11:24:18 GMT 8
Kona entry is $1500 USD So with the exchange rate plus active fee of 5% is it, entry would be AUD$2351.62 Fark me thats expensive for a 1 day race. Then add on your airfares and accommodation For old triathlon tragics like me, and I reckon there are heaps of them, … worth it. Let’s face it. If I got a slot I’d probably take 3 months off work to train and do it (so that’s between $80-120K lost right there), invest in a bunch of new kit and a coached training program. It would be an exercise that would set me back over 100K, so a $2K entry fee would be the least of it. I highly recommend going and doing the 70.3 there. Its one of the best I've ever done and I've finished 37 of them. Id go the week before and stay in Kona town until race eve and then head ot to the resorts at race HQ. Swim the course. Eat at lava java. ride the queenK. Its cheaper and you'll enjoy it way more. Id also suggest hiring a bike there rather than flying with your own. Just take pedals, shoes and helmet. An experience you wont regret
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Post by prince on Dec 7, 2022 11:56:55 GMT 8
I have seen many companies who got greedy and end up on the scrapheap, and it will only be a matter of time before people do question the value of ironman. Recently, when I visited the ironman merchandise tent, I couldn't comprehend the price of the ironman cycling bib and braces. I mean I expected it to be a bit more expensive than the average because it had ironman branded on them, but $250 is. really taking the piss. They need to be called out for this sh!te. I mean even the races, you are way getting less quality in the whole package now. there will come a point when the marginal propensity to consume (one of the only things I remember from economics) has an effect.
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Post by roxii on Dec 7, 2022 12:03:31 GMT 8
Ok so a hypothetical.
Ironman ups sticks and moves the whole shooting match to Roth. Now the Ironman (TM) "World Championships" are to be held in Roth. So you can be the Ironman World Champion raced in Roth.
Challenge finds a magical way to appease Pele and the locals and puts on an "iron distance" race in Kona in October. So you can be the Challenge Kona Champion
Which race do people aim for???
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Post by Peter on Dec 7, 2022 12:03:59 GMT 8
But you keep supporting them. Did nt you just do Melb 70.3?
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steve
Junior Member
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Post by steve on Dec 7, 2022 14:36:36 GMT 8
Ok so a hypothetical. Ironman ups sticks and moves the whole shooting match to Roth. Now the Ironman (TM) "World Championships" are to be held in Roth. So you can be the Ironman World Champion raced in Roth. Challenge finds a magical way to appease Pele and the locals and puts on an "iron distance" race in Kona in October. So you can be the Challenge Kona Champion Which race do people aim for??? Easy: Challenge Kona. Ironman is first and foremost a distance. The distance makes it an Ironman, not the brand. I did Penticton when it was a Challenge race. I only did it the once because of a long-standing schedule conflict. But I was able to go in 2015. It was the same, magical event that I been hearing about forever. At the awards, I sat with some Canadians who had done it 20+, 30+ times. It was an Ironman distance race before it was an Ironman brand race, and they were proud of the history. In a lot of ways, the 2015 race went back to the roots for them. There were 152 full finishers that day, plus about 400 in the half, plus relays. If I could only do an Ironman in Penticton once in my life, and it couldn't be back in the day, that's one I want to have done. It wasn't so great for the town. Not so much money coming in for it. Lots of regrets from the locals that they didn't do more to hang on to the mdot. Or that they told Ironman to take a hike. Lots of different versions of that story. But they supported it like they always have. Kona is where the magic is. Roth has that magic too, but I've already done it. So Kona.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Dec 7, 2022 15:14:20 GMT 8
What Steve said.
However, Ironman Corp MAY be able to make it work; at least with the pro field, rotating the race by sex between two iconic venues; but for the age groupers Kona will always have that allure. Especially for those triathlon tourists who want the experience: serious insects who actually think that winning an AG world championship amounts to something more than a hill of beans might have a different opinion.
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Post by prince on Dec 7, 2022 16:44:56 GMT 8
But you keep supporting them. Did nt you just do Melb 70.3? I did, but because there are few other organisations running 70.3 or IM distance races, and I wanted to do a race before the end of the year, I had little choice. But as someone who has seen Ironman skimp on what you get at races, it is really sad. I will guarantee, they will find more ways to cut costs over the next few years.
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steve
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Post by steve on Dec 11, 2022 11:19:46 GMT 8
At the roll down in Taupo this morning, any woman who showed up and wanted to go to Kona got a slot. Three slots went unclaimed.
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robp
New Member
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Post by robp on Dec 11, 2022 14:31:25 GMT 8
Ok so a hypothetical. Ironman ups sticks and moves the whole shooting match to Roth. Now the Ironman (TM) "World Championships" are to be held in Roth. So you can be the Ironman World Champion raced in Roth. Challenge finds a magical way to appease Pele and the locals and puts on an "iron distance" race in Kona in October. So you can be the Challenge Kona Champion Which race do people aim for??? Kona ; for the mystic and challenge.
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Post by Peter on Dec 11, 2022 19:42:55 GMT 8
At the roll down in Taupo this morning, any woman who showed up and wanted to go to Kona got a slot. Three slots went unclaimed. LOL 😂.
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steve
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Post by steve on Dec 12, 2022 3:33:15 GMT 8
There were 25 slots for the 92 women who finished. The fact that 3 slots weren't claimed is due, I think, to the low number of athletes. A quarter of the women's field -- 24% -- took up slots. Demand is still there, at least for those with enough time and money to commit to Kona. Women 50-54 was the keenest age group - 8 slots went to them.
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Post by Katz on Dec 12, 2022 5:12:41 GMT 8
Not even money apparently. Have seen my first "Go fund me" for a trip to Kona on my FB feed.
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Post by prince on Dec 12, 2022 6:17:18 GMT 8
Not even money apparently. Have seen my first "Go fund me" for a trip to Kona on my FB feed. that is just wrong on so many levels. They would have accepted the slot, so they should have already been able to afford it and not try and fleece strangers.
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Post by flanman on Dec 12, 2022 7:02:12 GMT 8
There were 25 slots for the 92 women who finished. The fact that 3 slots weren't claimed is due, I think, to the low number of athletes. A quarter of the women's field -- 24% -- took up slots. Demand is still there, at least for those with enough time and money to commit to Kona. Women 50-54 was the keenest age group - 8 slots went to them. And that's the AG my friend took. FM
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Post by roxii on Dec 12, 2022 8:23:59 GMT 8
Not even money apparently. Have seen my first "Go fund me" for a trip to Kona on my FB feed. I’m sure if you got a walk up start after finishing in 16 hours you probably hadn’t budgeted on needing to save for Kona anytime soon. Still it’s no different to years gone by when people quit jobs or scaled back hours to train more to get to Kona then couldn’t afford it after qualifying so did fundraising to meet the costs. You gotta ask at what point does Ironman screw even the Kona legacy by making it a walk up start?
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Post by Peter on Dec 12, 2022 8:40:34 GMT 8
Not even money apparently. Have seen my first "Go fund me" for a trip to Kona on my FB feed. out them
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Post by Katz on Dec 12, 2022 18:06:25 GMT 8
Not even money apparently. Have seen my first "Go fund me" for a trip to Kona on my FB feed. out them Yeah, I don't think I will.
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Post by Peter on Dec 13, 2022 3:10:29 GMT 8
So its a Friend. Time to find new friends.
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Post by aplover on Dec 13, 2022 3:26:08 GMT 8
So its a Friend. Time to find new friends. Or donate $$$$ to the “cause” lol 😂
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Post by Katz on Dec 13, 2022 9:00:41 GMT 8
So its a Friend. Time to find new friends. Hahaha, no, not a friend.
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Post by sammyb on Dec 13, 2022 13:11:26 GMT 8
So its a Friend. Time to find new friends. Hahaha, no, not a friend. Friend of mine from High school. I gave $50 and offered my time to help her practice rh bidon pick up. I feel like after my charity event I need to pay that vibe forward. Hope she can get there.
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steve
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by steve on Dec 13, 2022 14:37:54 GMT 8
You gotta ask at what point does Ironman screw even the Kona legacy by making it a walk up start? WTC will screw itself, but not the IMH legacy. Seventeen walked up to Waikiki Beach in 1978. It was more than that in Kailua-Kona in 1981, but anyone who wanted to race could. Julie Moss entered on a whim in 1982 and defined the sport. That's the legacy.
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Post by Peter on Dec 13, 2022 14:47:56 GMT 8
Nice.
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Post by Peter on Dec 15, 2022 9:22:19 GMT 8
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