Triple agent
I have a few friends… most virtual, some real.
All nice people, even the southerners !
It’s a great race, based in a nice town that gets bad press.
If it’s wet… it won’t be great for some people.
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Easy races …
I thought bike aid stations were generally every 20km in Ironman events?
Yep, exactly why I choose them. Also Austria is a beautiful course (the amended 2019 bike route is spectacular) and a great place to have a holiday 
If I get to do another it will be Copenhagen for the same reasons
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Lol
My ultimate aim is a fast full distance race before I’m ancient…!
Don’t care about branded
Dalesman maybe
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Surprised no one has posted about this yet
https://www.ironman.com/im-wc-deferral
Basically, if you qualify and pay your $1000 + to sign up and it then goes ahead but you can’t get there because of travel restrictions then you ain’t getting your money back or being given an opportunity to defer.
Risky business. I can see both side of this. There might be plenty of opportunity to qualify for 2021 but unless they stem the deferrals then 2022 will be full before qualification races even begin.
I went in 2015 and it did cost a fortune but I don’t regret a single penny, it remains one of the best experiences of my life. Turned down a slot in 2019 and I’m still regretting that decision to this day.
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Where do we sign up? 
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You get $175 back.
Entry fee is $1,250 including the Hawaii sales tax and Active processing fee and possible bank foreign transaction fee.
So yes, it’s a MASSIVE gamble, seeing as we here in the UK cannot currently travel to the US of A.
(You could go via Japan, or the Falkland Islands, so long as you stay there for at least 14 days prior to entering the US)
I did question earlier if this is why some guys at the pointy end have deferred their IMUK entries to next year. No point securing a Kona slot this year if they won’t let you roll it over to 2022.
Or lots of other places, 2 weeks in Mexico would seem to be more obvious than Japan on cost?
Of course, it’s highly unlikely that the requirements will be the same in October unless you don’t believe in vaccines.
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This is turning into quite a trip!
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Flying via Japan is cheapest by far, via Narito airport.
But staying two weeks?
I’d rather feel like I wasn’t going to get shot leaving the hotel complex and see at least some of the country, so Mexico would be a no from me.
Don’t forget you need at least 1 week in Kona to acclimatise. Sounds like you need to take a sabbatical to race Kona in '21.
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Again you could acclimitize somewhere else that’s similarly hot though and cheaper, and of course the 14 days you’d currently need for US entry - I’m pretty sure that won’t be around in October thoug.
@Poet I actually found Tokyo not that expensive when I was there really, and looking now the similar hotel is well under 50 quid a night (and not a coffin one or anything) food was reasonable, getting around was reasonable, so you’re probably right that it’s better, if it wasn’t for the fact that they won’t let you in either unless you spend 14 days somewhere else first… I’d be a stronger bet on the US rule relaxing first.
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Cheers Jim, but like I’ve said, I’m not going 
My first trip abroad/on a plane was to Japan (Osaka) mental place - thoroughly recommend it.
Not that I’m following the US-UK travel corridor news…but…
Coronavirus: Industry dismisses US-UK moves to reopen travel Coronavirus: Industry dismisses US-UK moves to reopen travel - BBC News
Did wonder if that was a joke or genuine comment by @Mungo2 about the deferrals? Surely they haven’t all deferred, and Tom looks to still be IM training and did a course loop today.
Care to elaborate? Is this because you think Mexico is super dangerous?
It was a joke … they saw his strava and bailed!
I know two of them are hard at it, the other two are winning races.
The logistics of a Kona spot might devalue the race slightly I guess, but 99% of us don’t do it for that.
Not what I think; it’s on the FCO travel advice page
Sounds like somewhere I’d rather not go.
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You can drive in Mexico using a UK licence or an International Driving Permit. Driving standards are very different from the UK. Roads can be pot-holed. Be prepared to stop unexpectedly and beware of vehicles moving slowly, changing lane without indicating and going through red lights. Many local drivers don’t have any form of car insurance.
Erm, how is that different to the UK exactly?
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