Athletes who qualify for the Ironman World Championship after April and for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship after March and who can’t, due to border closures or any other reasons, make it to Kona or St. George, will not be able to defer their entry to next year, nor get a full refund. This, according to the Witsup website, is what Ironman’s updated World Championship qualification policy states.
“As of 27 March 2021, if you have qualified for the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships and accept your slot, you will not be eligible for a future deferral if the event proceeds as planned, and you are unable to attend,” the updated policy states. “As of 10 April 2021, if you qualify for the 2021 Ironman World Championships and accept your slot, you will not be eligible for a future deferral if the event proceeds as planned and you are unable to attend,” it continues. “Importantly, this includes, but not limited to, being unable to attend due to border closures/policies in your region.”
Athletes will still be eligible for a partial refund, if they have to cancel. For the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, the final date for such cancellations is Aug. 3, 2021. Athletes who cancel before that date will receive a 75 dollar refund. For the Ironman World Championship, cancellations must be submitted before Aug. 25, 2021, in order to receive a $175 refund.
It’s important to note, though, that these restrictions are only for athletes who qualify after those time periods. Athletes who qualifed before March (70.3) or April (Ironman) and who can’t travel to the events will be given the option to defer their entry to 2023. Athletes who qualified for the 2020 Ironman World Championship have been given the option to defer their 2021 entry to the 2022 or 2023 event.
