Who is signing up for IM Kona Lottery?

Me too

I put my name in the hat ... but did the questions they asked make you feel less than qualified ... I mean, have you overcome tremendous adversity or do you have an inspirational story? ... I don't ... at least when I compare what I've seen on TV. Is that one of the qualifiers?

This user's post has been ignored.

When does the registration close for this? I'm kind of on the fence. I don't think it's a real lottery as in they just pull names out of a hat. I think they cherry pick at least a good portion of them.

This user's post has been ignored.

Anyone ever seen how many entries there are each year? I've done it the past few years and will continue to do it, but would be interested to know if my odds are like 1:100,000, 1:10,000, etc.

I think the odds are like 1:12

1:12 I think if you just do the general entry and are not a passport member.

Edited by chirunner134 2007-11-19 3:56 PM

Ummmm.......No, I think that is completely wrong and too low. They only take, what 200? How many applicants do you think they get? I'm willing to bet it's more than 2400, which is what you math implies.

I could not find 2007 entries but here is from a pervious post on BT about 2004. I was low but not terriblely low. I am closer than 1:100 well according to 2004.

from a post on ST:

In 2001 there were 2833 US entrants - 2275 Passport and 558 General. 100 winners were drawn from the 2275 Passport members (odds of winning 1:22.25). The losing Passport members were then added to the General entrants from which 50 more competitors were drawn (50 from 2733, odds of winning 1:54.17).

Internationally, there were 901 of which 25 winners were drawn from the 481 Passport members (odds of 1:18.76), and then 25 more were drawn from the remaining Passport and all the general entries (odds of 1:34.56)


In 2004 we had the following: there were 2,584 U.S. passport applicants, 840 U.S. general applicants and 2,484 passport applicants rolled over from the first drawing. There were 568 internaional passport applicants, there were 382 international general applicants and 543 passport applicants rolled over from the first drawing.



All data from the Independant Agent for the Kona Lottery
Price Donoghue Ridenour
29605 U.S. 19 North, Suite 140
Clearwater, FL 33761

Edited by chirunner134 2007-11-19 7:41 PM

I did for 2007 last year and didn't make it.

But I won't be I'll be signing up for the lottery again. I'll either earn a Kona spot by qualifying, or I won't be doing Kona.

Last year there were 6800 entries left in the pool for the 50 US General Entry spots. So you had about a 0.7% chance of winning. For the lottery its pure dumb luck .(But you can't win if you don't play.... There were 20 sponsor's exemptions (ie Cherry picked by NBC, Ford, and WTC) (#'s 163-182), but these folks included a double leg amputee (Scott Rigsby) and double lung transplant recepient (Scott Johnson) and a kid who literally died 8 times (Brian Boyle). Amazing people who deserved the opportunity and really didn't take anyone else's spot.

As far as the lottery race numbers go you couldn't tell I was a lottery winner as the numbers were ordered by age and then alphabetically. Of course in my age group you could figure out who was a lottery winner by the fact that our bikes were the one ones left in the rack even after a sub a 1:20 swim .

Best $35 I ever spent, but I'll let someone lse experience the ride this year. Good Luck.