Kona Lottery

[brock1234]

Why do the WTC run a lottery for Kona?

In my opinion, if your going to call an event a "World Championship" then you have the top participants racing.

I like idea of the lottery, but I think it would be better if they perhaps gave people a free entry to one of the local Ironman races.

I just think of all the people that have came 4th or 5th in their age groups and had been training their asses off all year to go to Kona. They might have missed out because they got a flat or something. On another day that person could have won that age group and qualified easy. Would make a far more competitive and exciting age group field in Kona.

Mark

[Flak]

The race, no matter how popular, must have a mechanism to allow the everyman to compete. - John Collins

I think the lottery is the great thing about Kona. Where else can an average amature rub shoulders with the elite in thier sport?

[Triguy]

Ironman suffers from many ails, many of which stem form the fact that it's governing body is not a non profit organization. WTC is in the business of making money, and advancing their own profit margins. One way to do this is lottery tickets. Another is to copyright a distance of a race, and not let anyone else call themself an "Ironman" unless they complete a WTC race, as opposed to the dozens of other non-WTC ironman races.

There is a reason I can't buy into a lottery for the ITU elite world champs, because no one at ITU would make money off of it.