I don’t bloody know!
Just listen to it, man
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F that. 2 hrs of Aussie nonsense! 
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This is a podcast yeah?
Never mind - found it - haircut talk 
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Aussie?
Erm…Kiwi’s bro’ 
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I got like 2 mins in and switched off!
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51 minutes - just got to it
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Wondering what Kona Q will be like this year? Eg will there be decent rolldowns at some events given the cost, some remaining travel restrictions and risk.
Also the fact some might have already qualified either for this year or next from 2020/21?
Dave said he would have got a slot at the weekend if he’d gone for a top 30 in M50, but I’m guessing a lot of people might have thought twice about dropping another ~£800 on a race in 6 months!
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Only £800?
Try £8000 
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It’s an interesting point, and I’m really expecting deeper KQ roll downs. The price gouging in KOna is ridiculous, and I just think less people will be willing to roll the dice with all the associated risk, hassle and cost, at least for the forseeable.
Oddly the talk even now of moving away from Kona and a 2 day event is diluting the allure. Kona was always about that 1 day, the best pros, the best AGers all there duking it out - your day in the sun at an event which has been iconic since the first IM - and always would be.
I think at the end of the season Messick will be concluding:
- WC’s away from Kona still work but they need to be at the end of the season
- 2 day double sized event works brilliantly and is an utter cash cow
- 2 day double sized event has outgrown Kona (at least as an every year thing).
I wonder if my 2023 will be the last ‘traditional’ Kona? Will it even be the traditional 1 day Kona?
If 2023 onwards are 2 dayers, roll downs will be massive.
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I meant just the race entry! Yeah, £8k total might be close though
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If you’re taking the WC on the road then the fixed date would influence which locations would be viable for a mid-October race.
I think St George would probably have been more suited to an October race because the swim would have been warmer and it would still have been pretty hot, but a European race would start to get a bit dicey for the weather.
Also, if you use established race courses for your WC do you hold the WC instead of the established annual race or do you try to hold 2 races in a year at the same venue?
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The latter.
Otherwise you’d get everyone turning up for a recce validation on normal race day.
There’d be six hour marathons all over the shop
WC should be at Barcelona. Or Florida.
Nice honest courses like those.
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Yeah this crossed my mind last week, is why I asked @TROSaracen about 2023/deferrals etc.
Missus asked me about 2022 Kona if I qualified, and decision is we wouldn’t go.
But I’d be tempted around planning 2023 around a WC attempt, but StG is even less inspiring to justify the cost. Might live to regret passing up on 2019 Kona, but there’s even less allure now.
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Everyone knows they need to hold the next one in Wales, in Oct. None of this ‘Oh i’m too hot on the run nonsense’. We want people shivering on the bike and then buzzing through town past the drunken idiots in the pouring rain.
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Yes, most of those points were my reasoning behind longer roll-downs this year at least, as below Chris has said he wouldn’t accept a place and I think he’s probably not alone.
The timing possibly is best late in the year but as Whisk says any European venues would probably need to in the south, joking apart Barcelona is usually about the same weekend and can still get warm, it also has a lot of accommodation and logistics would actually be better for people as well as the lure of Barca for a family holiday. (yes I appreciate bike course problems but there are hills they use on the 70.3).
A 2 day event would either mean they could expand the full IM race series and still increase the slots at the existing races. I think Bolton has more places this year, 45? So it’s a win all round and although a lot of people do them without the intention to qualify there are still slot hunters.
St George did show they could run a WC elsewhere. I suspect the pro’s care less about Kona than the age groupers TBH.
Be an interesting conversation with the Hawaii authorities and Messick.
Look, we can put on a two day race bringing ~2000 more triathletes and families with spending power into your economy for a couple of weeks upheaval a year, or we can take that cash elsewhere and you’ll lose all the income. Might be a case of who blinks first!
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Is there enough accommodation/flights etc to be able to look after an additional 2000 people plus supporters for a week or so at Kona?
I think that 2 day Kona this year is great. I have no intention to go to Kona again.,… however, if they start to rotate IMWC I may be tempted to try to qualify again
I watched St George, and thought it was awsome, major FOMO as I was offered a place, wish I had taken it
I think that the days of IMWC being just in Kona have ended. Look at ST, 2 years ago when I posted my view I was totally shot down 90% against. I posted on a recent thread, I think 75% in favour of rotating IMWC. If ST has moved then it’s pretty much a done deal
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A few thoughts
I’d be very happy with a rotating WC, given the chance to use tri to travel world and go places I’d be interested in, potentially lower cost, or just more inspiring race courses.
There seems a possibility IM are leaning towards a long-term presence at StG rather than unique places each year, which is even less inspiring to me personally as a destination race (for unfounded reasons).
If I was going to go it would be because I wanted to be all in and focused on it meaning everything to me and trying to achieve my best. The culmination of a goal. There are huge financial, time, opportunity costs from things sacrificed to do it. Hence not only does it have to inspire, but inspire more than those other things.
2019 I came 4th with 3 slots, finding out on day someone had KQ elsewhere already. I hadn’t even considered possibility KQ would be an option, hence not motivated/inspired/captivated enough as a goal to take it.
2021 - I have no annual leave to go having done/planned other trips in Australia (mainly the 10 days to go race Cairns!).
The more I learn +/- changes happen seem that WC aren’t this big pinnacle event but a cash-cow: the amount of roll-downs etc devalue it to me.
That’s not to say never, indeed I’ve asked the missus and probed here wondering what situation is for 2023, whether a race in Taupo in March would set up well for an October Kona after I’ve quit job, have time to go, before restarting work in UK.
It could work, but would need to see how inspired I feel after Cairns. I’d likely be more inspired by prospect of Taupo than Hawaii tbh!
Seems I’m running the risk of having missed out on the best opportunity in 2019, but we’ll see. The missus worried I’d regret turning down '19 if I don’t qualify again, but I know I don’t. I feel no affiliation to the ironman brand.
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MOO MOO 
Frequented by sheep 
In saying that, I’ve been captivated by Hawaii since seeing it on the LOST TV series back in the early noughties, so would totally love to go. But watching the White Lotus TV series makes me think that I’ll just be “one of those” people, also, why ruin a nice holiday with a race?
I appreciate many will feel this way. Whilst I’ve never travelled for a race yet, I do feel inspired to and would be my idea of a good holiday combining them (especially without kids, which will be a different argument for many).
Off-topic, but Its a similar rationale behind my answer as to why people would ever want to exercise on holiday:
When I’m working full-time I choose to use my only leisure time to exercise. Suggests it’s my priority.
So why wouldn’t I do it when I have unlimited free-time? If not, then I’m making the wrong choice as to what makes me happy and fulfilled the other ~48 weeks of the year.
Some will think differently and see it as enjoying a rest, which I have absolutely nothing against. But also don’t see why people in a hotel gym should be mocked.
I’ll very much enjoy a rest at times - After Cairns I’ll do zero exercise the 7 days while in Queensland, and likely no ‘training’ for a month at least. But when just exercising normally then yes I enjoy an easy jog/paddle/gym etc. Flush out one of the 
at least.
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