It’s an unpleasant observation for Ironman, as the World Championship at Nice – this year for men only – is not proving particularly popular among Age Groupers as of yet. In recent races, with Ironman Lanzarote perhaps the biggest low point, the organization is barely getting rid of its slots for their World Championship.
Per race, a number of the fastest athletes per Age Group – the amount varies per race – earn a slot for the Ironman World Championships. That slot must then be claimed and paid for at the Awards Ceremony. If an athlete does not make use of it, a so-called roll down follows, whereby the next athlete to claim the slot is the first to do so.
Last weekend Ironman Lanzarote took place and the rolldown resulted in a bizarre scene: dozens of athletes refused their slot and so it happened that just about every athlete who wanted a slot was able to get one. The exclusivity of the slots thus seems to have completely disappeared.
Biggest criticism from athletes seems to be that they don’t feel like paying about $1,600 for the World Championship in Nice, while the “regular” Ironman Nice takes place three months earlier and is about a thousand dollars cheaper.
