That’s a good point re Feb 21, I’m sure they’d love to fill it for the revenue but it would be a much easier sell to locals and authorities as a ‘50% smaller socially distanced’ event.
Flying LHR > HI would be a 'mare with young kids anyway, even if you could afford Business Class. I think I would be totally exhausted before I started, hence the solo trips to the Continent.
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Yep a much easier sell. Damage limitation for Ironman in the hope that the rest of 2021 would be more normal…
and would they even enjoy it, or would it just be ‘you’ convincing yourself that they get a nice holiday out of it, but really it’s all about your race! That’s a generalisation of course, but i know my wife wouldn’t be sold on it in the slightest, unless we were going elsewhere before or after the race.
Tbh, I think doing the Ironman would probably spoil a decent trip to Hawaii 
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This was my conclusion when we had a serious look at IM Lanza as a family racecation. Unless you stay for 10 days or more, trying to do 7 days at PDC would result, either in a sub par holiday for them (with me wanting to stay off my feet) or a sub par race experience for me (being knackered from trying to keep everyone happy).
I’m too old and tired to burn that candle at both ends, plus the logistics of taking care of kit, luggage and holding onto Little One.
Drive to races can work as a family but when kids are young and can’t entertain themselves for long, flying becomes a chore with a race attached. Some can do it, but I can’t.
Mrs FP is way more interested in a week at CLS, where we we can plan activities and go surfing, riding, tennis etc.
For us, it’s either al drive to a race, or keep the fly away races and family holidays separate.
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At Edinburgh 2018 it was double qualification, they pretty much said if anyone wants to go to SA stand up, there was about 1 slot for each gender left, and then some bloke said he’d go to SA if no one else wanted to.
A few Nice A\G’s rolled a bit, but not massively, although the fact there was only ~800 finishers helped.
I’d rather do Leadville, WS100, the Spine Race etc than Kona. The more I think about it, the more I think all that obsessing, time and money to ride/run up & down the Queen K is not worth it. I felt differently in the 90s. Your opinion may vary.
Western states is just about as hard to get into as Kona. Leadville a bit lees so (assuming you are talking running?)
I’ve never thought the Kona course looks that good. It looks boring AF really, hot windy and desolate. The old IM Korea had similar conditions and was 10 times more scenic.
I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times, never been to Kona but honestly, without the race, the place looks like a craphole compared to other options in Hawaii.
If I wasn’t surfing and I wanted ‘awe and wonder’ for the family, I’d head to Kauai.
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The other problem goes something like this
Me “ Headmaster can I have 3 weeks off in January/February next year please”
Headmaster “not if you want a job when you get back!”
Anyway don’t know what I am bothered about I ain’t quick enough so it doesn’t matter you racing snakes crack on!
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Exactly the same boat here. I have neither the talent or the money. lack of time to take off, is the final nail in the coffin.
Must be odd/lucky that Mrs TRO loves Ironman holidays. We usually put the race in the middle.
As she says ‘ I get a week to do what I want while you fanny about with the bike and recce-ing, I get to watch you race and ogle a load of other fit bodies and then we get a week’s holiday’.
Kids long gone from the nest helps.
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Exactly. We were totally like that pre kids, used to go everywhere racing/holiday.
Started thinking like that myself, it was a slightly unhealthy obsession for a while, although if I do another IM and got lucky or had a perfect day it would be hard to say no.
I’d add UTMB into that, problem I’ve got now is the medical form and a global pandemic 
Yep, thats us too!
Lanza works brilliantly for that too, as its so goddam cheap to eat and drink out
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I can’t help thinking Jacinda has put the kybosh on Taupo 70.3 this year with her comments this morning about not letting foreign nationals in the country. Especially 4-5K from multiple countries.
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Maybe they’ll have a superweekend in March where they have the half worlds and the full IMNZ together?
Yeah, that could be judged badly by history.
I don’t know, NZ is being judged pretty favourably at the moment.
We do let people in, they just have to sit in a hotel for 2 weeks first 
The goal is to open borders to other countries that have a grip. Current aim is OZ, pacific Islands. Then Asia. I do suspect, UK/US may be a while though… But no, no good for a “world championship”
Yes Taupo is a gonner for the foreseeable. I can’t see Kona in Feb 21. Kona Oct 21 maybe 50:50, ditto Olympics and Euro 21.
Most countries are a long way off gatherings of any sort. Not even on the timetable here in the UK.
Even then we have several tiers: just small gatherings, ‘mass gatherings’ within the same country and even then we’re still not at mass gatherings which consist of people flying in from all over the globe, having a gathering and then jetting back home.
I’d imagine that will be almost the very last thing on a very long list to reopen. A lot of good progress has to happen very quickly, no second spike, mass vaccination etc.
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