14 Hour Cut off Time Question.. (Page 3)

You better go hunt down these Kona finishers for disgracing that which you hold so dear by taking longer than 14 hours:

1567     15:30:50 Cokan, France           Bellevue     WA USA SVN    1/7    M75-79 

1576     15:36:17 Hollander, Lew          Bend         OR USA        2/7    M75-79 

1584     15:42:45 Roberts, Lyle           Burlington   IA USA        3/7    M75-79

1591     15:52:09 Scott, Bob              Naperville   IL USA        4/7    M75-79 

1600     16:08:55 Anderson, Harriet       San Carlos   CA USA        1/2    W70-74

1624     16:59:03 Buder, Madonna          Spokane      WA USA        1/1    W75-79

It really has nothing to do with race logistics in terms of selling out all the spots.

It has everything to do with people wanting to be able to shout "look at me, I'm special, you're not, nyah nyah" for the rest of their lives getting miffed when what they once thought was so special and unique turns out not to be.

chirunner perhaps being the exception, it's telling that many of the elitest snobs suggest a cutoff time that they themselves would be able to make.

If you want Kona to really be a race of the elite, the cutoffs should be 8:45 for the men, and 9:45 for the women.  If you can't break those times, then you're NOT in the race, and you're just out there lollygagging around and have no business being there.

1567     15:30:50 Cokan, France           Bellevue     WA USA SVN    1/7    M75-79 

1576     15:36:17 Hollander, Lew          Bend         OR USA        2/7    M75-79 

1584     15:42:45 Roberts, Lyle           Burlington   IA USA        3/7    M75-79

1591     15:52:09 Scott, Bob              Naperville   IL USA        4/7    M75-79 

1600     16:08:55 Anderson, Harriet       San Carlos   CA USA        1/2    W70-74

1624     16:59:03 Buder, Madonna          Spokane      WA USA        1/1    W75-79

I'm not sure who you are speaking to, but who said that someone who finished over 14 hours was disgracing someting.... 

I may have missed it but Coredumped I think you are the only one using the word disgracing or implying that someone has discraced something.

Is any other opinon other than yours wrong or inapropriate?

1567     15:30:50 Cokan, France           Bellevue     WA USA SVN    1/7    M75-79 

1576     15:36:17 Hollander, Lew          Bend         OR USA        2/7    M75-79 

1584     15:42:45 Roberts, Lyle           Burlington   IA USA        3/7    M75-79

1591     15:52:09 Scott, Bob              Naperville   IL USA        4/7    M75-79 

1600     16:08:55 Anderson, Harriet       San Carlos   CA USA        1/2    W70-74

1624     16:59:03 Buder, Madonna          Spokane      WA USA        1/1    W75-79

I'm not sure who you are speaking to, but who said that someone who finished over 14 hours was disgracing someting.... 

I may have missed it but Coredumped I think you are the only one using the word disgracing or implying that someone has discraced something.

Is any other opinon other than yours wrong or inapropriate?

That would be 'notmyrealname'.

I'm done.

1567     15:30:50 Cokan, France           Bellevue     WA USA SVN    1/7    M75-79 

1576     15:36:17 Hollander, Lew          Bend         OR USA        2/7    M75-79 

1584     15:42:45 Roberts, Lyle           Burlington   IA USA        3/7    M75-79

1591     15:52:09 Scott, Bob              Naperville   IL USA        4/7    M75-79 

1600     16:08:55 Anderson, Harriet       San Carlos   CA USA        1/2    W70-74

1624     16:59:03 Buder, Madonna          Spokane      WA USA        1/1    W75-79

I'm not sure who you are speaking to, but who said that someone who finished over 14 hours was disgracing someting.... 

I may have missed it but Coredumped I think you are the only one using the word disgracing or implying that someone has discraced something.

Is any other opinon other than yours wrong or inapropriate?

Oh, good luck with your election today. ( The way you misrepresent what others say and blow things out of proportion and call people names when they disagree with your point of view,,,,,,,, you must be a plitician).

Your older, less than average, slow running, slow biking, slow swiming, not bad in the transition area triathlete, here in the gambling capitol of the world,

Jim

Let's face it, this comes down to bragging rights and who gets into the exclusive IM club.  For 90% of the 'competitors', placing is not even a remote possibility so why do you care where the race cut off is?

Personally, I think the race cut-off ought to be 1 second after I cross the finish line!  That way there I can limit the IM club to only my superiors and I keep the IM to as exclusive a club as possible!  ;-)

~Mike

Man, this thread is ridiculous, is this what the marathon thread was like?  Unless people objecting to a 17 hour cutoff are competing and winning or placing in their age group (or even close), I really think their argument is weak. 

"racing?"  Hell, I was elated to finish my first SPRINT triathlon, as were 99% of the people on this board.  Someday I hope to be proud of an IM finish, whatever time is on the clock.  If I finish at 16:59, and it bothers someone, that really says nothing about me, and everything about them.

[edit - oh yeah, I'll be doing my first half mary, I hope, 12/3, probably finishing at a 10:30 pace or so.  Guess I shouldn't really be out there until I can split a 7:30]

yeah chris your gonna rock that half! i just finished the great floridian and it took me 16hrs and 3 mins.... 1hr 20 was spent with medical hydrating after the bike cause it was 102 degrees on the course and yes i guess i'm fat and wasn't prepared for the heat. but i was able to recover and do the old man shuffle to every water spot which i then walked while i drank and i was able to finish.. this is my first year tri'n and i have lost 90lbs since sept. last year... i was doing this race for me.... not for the placement. and yes i learned a ton of lessons on this race "should a could a would a"  now i have first hand knowledge for imfl 07. sorry for rambling but everyone needs props for tri'n and finishing no matter how long it takes...

Is it just my computer or is this thread hosed up?  It doesn't fit on w/i my window.  That is, I have to skroll left and right to read the posts.  How messed up the thread?!

The marathon thread was special.  Trust me.

Bottom line:  1) People that sign up for an event with a known cutoff time shouldn't be surprised by a new time when they get there  (I'm sure you're safe, Mike). 2) The current rules are 16 or 17 hour cutoff for IM-distance races (with a couple exceptions).  If ANYONE perceives a market for a 14 or 12 or 10 hour cutoff to differentiate themselves as a brand, they'll go there.  A new breed of races will emerge that will compete with the IronMan brand, or maybe IronMan will do it themselves.  If the economics work it will happen.  They just have to meet the quality standard for the current brand so as not to turn folks off.  Otherwise, it's a given.  Period.

Between the marathon thread and this thread, I'm already getting a sense that the elite folks are looking to distinguish, via label, their achievement from the BOP'ers.  ST has been about this for a while.  BT'ers are now starting to bandwagon it. 

I view a segmentation of the market for athletic achievement as inevitable...just like Boston is different from the rest of the marathons.  It'll happen.  I just don't know how. 

16 or 17 hours?  Now you got me wondering....do you know what IMKY is?  I don't see a time limit (or much info at all) about the race in the IMKY site.

~Mike

eMail the RD.  And BTW...you'll make either.  Don't sweat it.

Wow, so some people are saying here that a 16 hour IM isn't as valid as a 13 hour IM?  OK, that makes sense, I get it, sure, whatever.  That's a sad corner for BEGINNERtriathlete to turn.  That sh** works over on slowtwitch.

I guess it's inevitable, as you say, since there are what, probably 10000 new ironmen every year with all the races?  No longer is it the "ultimate" endurance event or much of a big deal among triathletes I guess.

I did just that.  The cut off is 17 hrs.  Whew!  :-)  I think I'll be in the 14-15 hr range but who knows, the race is still 10 months off.

While I was emailing the RD, I asked if the swim would be with the current.  His reply, "Probably, although we're exploring all swim course possibilities".  I sure hope we don't have to swim up river! 

~Mike

Bryan- read the marathon thread- we discussed it there.

IMO - it wouldn't hurt IM. It would raise the bar. I noted that in 1982 the Olympic standard was 2:18 for the marathon and there were like 380 qualifiers in the US. In 2000 we lowered the standard to 2:22 and there were like 40 qualifiers. So, how can that be? Lots of theory as to why.

Anyway - what if IM was 16:00 cut-off - do you think people would meet the time cut off? I think so. The same with 15:00, and 14:00 - funny thing is Dave Scott's first IM was 9:50 - he would be luck to get a slot today in his AG, with that same time in 2006.  So - people would raise their own personal bar. In 1999, a 10:20-10:30 would get you into Kona on all IM courses except IMFL, but today you would need a sub 10:00 on those same courses. People have raised the bar and I don't see making the cut off 14:00 any different. I didn't say whether I think its a good idea or not, but my intuition tells me that IM will still sell out. If they were to raise the price and cut down on the number of participants, they would eliminate a lot of the drafting that goes on.

Good topic.

1567     15:30:50 Cokan, France           Bellevue     WA USA SVN    1/7    M75-79 

1576     15:36:17 Hollander, Lew          Bend         OR USA        2/7    M75-79 

1584     15:42:45 Roberts, Lyle           Burlington   IA USA        3/7    M75-79

1591     15:52:09 Scott, Bob              Naperville   IL USA        4/7    M75-79 

1600     16:08:55 Anderson, Harriet       San Carlos   CA USA        1/2    W70-74

1624     16:59:03 Buder, Madonna          Spokane      WA USA        1/1    W75-79

I'm not sure who you are speaking to, but who said that someone who finished over 14 hours was disgracing someting.... 

I may have missed it but Coredumped I think you are the only one using the word disgracing or implying that someone has discraced something.

Is any other opinon other than yours wrong or inapropriate?

Coredump -

The spirit of IMH is that 'everyman' has a chance to race there - from 8:04 guys (7:45 when LA chooses to race it) and  all the way up to 17:00. That is why there is still a lottery - for 'everyman' to get in and do the race. Not just the elites. You know this...

bryancd - 2006-11-07 5:57 PM

mikericci - 2006-11-07 7:49 PM

Bryan- read the marathon thread- we discussed it there.

Ohh, that's ok, I think I caused enough trouble for one day, Mike . What about a requirement to complete a Half IM as a qualifier? Make it a stepping stone and would drive major biz into their 70.3 series.

Bryan

I would imagine that's where 70.3 and WTC is going with all this - you'll see. :-)

There'll be no more IMNA - only WTC events - only through a 70.3 race qualifier.

How come nobody makes this much noise about Boston marathon? That race DOES have cut offs to qualify. Anyway...

Mike, I think you guys have Chris all wrong here.  He's AGREEING with what you're saying.  He did use a little sarcasm along the way, but he's arguing against those lowered time limits.