Total cost for Team USA?

I was with team Canada in Chicago and we get ripped off on entry fee+admin+uniform ($600us). I have heard team USA is a bit cheaper. Entry fees were ridiculous. I think we paid something like $380 for the ITU race and the "open" race was half.

Hotel and airfaire to Chicago was $1500 (don't forget bike fees) + meals. No need for rental car in Chicago

Worth it ? IMO no. The upside is I got to see Gomez and friends race. Cool. There were lots of events to spectate. Often LC worlds is kind of on it's own. There were many thousands of people at the short course event. I have heard LC is much lower key. I met Bob Babbitt, Emma Snowsill, Barry Shepley, Jan Frodeno's coach, Mario Mola and a bunch of other cool people. I think it was cooler as a spectator than the race itself.

Long course ? No way. The elite race is not the top guys in the world. You will get one or two but not a stacked field. Same for the athletes. The top guys are chasing a Kona spots rather than an ITU world champion title. This is second hand info from friends that did it.

The distance is interesting but something you will never be able to compare yourself again. I do think it's a good "intro to IM though". Also a good motivator to step your swim up, so there is that.

I thought hard about it and forfeited a spot twice for LC, although the distances to travel were much greater. It would have been $4k or more. If there was no travel costs yes, if travel costs, no (for me) . I would put the same money towards a 70.3 or IM race any day of the week. A 70.3 race will be less expensive, an IM about the same and they are easier to use to compare to previous performances.

A few friends did it but they did it as an "intro to IM" since the distance is between 70.3 and IM.

Very much a personal opinion.


Edited by marcag 2015-10-15 4:28 AM

At least for me, it's "only" an 8 hour drive, so that would save on some costs. It's the same course I did Redman at, so I know it will be a nice mostly flat course. I don't care about staying at their hotel. I pretty much decided to stop doing full IMs unless I have somewhat of a shot at Kona, which pretty much means never. This race would be just got and giggles but I also plan to do 2-3 HIMs next year as well, so my season won't just center around this. Trying to decide cost vs other things. If I ever have kids (god forbid!) it would be a cool thing to say I did something like this but I'm a little concerned on all the extra fees added for 0 value gained.