getting in to ironman florida

There's been a lot of discussion regarding this in the Iron Distance Forum.

Short answer is: The best way to make sure you'll get in is to be in Panama City Beach the day after the race.  

And, if you're going to go, you might as well volunteer.  The volunteers get a free t-shirt and get to register before everyone else the day after the race.

I'm not going to register while I'm there
I'm not going to register while I'm there
I'm not going to register while I'm there
I'm not going to register while I'm there

Wanna bet?   

Yes.

I'm waiting for the day when you need to be on site to sign up to VOLUNTEER for the next year so that you can get in the line to sign up as a volunteer for the NEXT year after that!!

I already have started talking about volunteering at LP next year so I can sign up for '10.  It is a must do if I want to get into the race.

Just to preface that I have NO plans to sign up for an IM in the next several years, if ever, and I don't normally respond to any threads having to do with IM because I'm not NEARLY at that level.

But I think it's kind of annoying that you have to go there to sign up for one. I mean, that's expensive and for a lot of people, maybe not possible, esp. since dropping several hundred bucks on registration may be all they can really afford. I know most triathletes have the cash, and I understand that they probably want truly committed people signing up which is why they make it difficult, but you can still be committed to the sport and not be able to afford to fly to and stay in FL, AZ, etc...the only one I could get to on the cheap is LP (since my parents only live a couple of hours away from there), and there is NO WAY IN HELL I'm ever gonna do LP.

Here's a newsflash: LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS FAIR!

Its not likely to change either because NAS, like any other business with a highly successful product is in the driver's seat.  Supply and demand baby, supply and demand.

Unless you are really wanting to volunteer.  I'd look into two other options. The community fund.. It might be cheaper to not fly down, get a room with a min. night stay.

the other is the two 70.3 races that NAS puts on. In california and florida that you can get slots for the regular IM races.

Yes, I understand that - but still. It's kinda lame.

Well, I don't mind volunteering. Glad to.  I don't live that far from the IMFL venue, so it isn't that expensive to get there for me, and I have family in the area.

I can barely justify the normal entry fee to my wife.  I certainly can't afford the community fund fee, even if I could convince my wife to plunk down that kind of money for a race.  As someone said, it's their race -- they can do what they want.

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful replies.

As a business, NAS is in the perfect situation.  With the race selling out, you guarantee that you make your profit.  Why would they not sell when they have the chance.  In reality if it makes some people mad, it doesn't matter because they are full.  The only time it could impact them is if they don't sell out and then those people who are mad may not come back to sign-up.  And that is unlikely to happen.  Maybe a better idea is to continue to expand the races.  I know they added IM - Cozumel.  Maybe we'll see some new sites opening in the future.  Seems that they could use some more sites in the mid-west.  Maybe IM - Austin or IM-Lincoln (Nebraska),  How about IM - Chicago? 

With that being said, I probably will not ever race that long, so....