Kona Ironman World Championship Lottery

I found this article while browsing the other day Kona Lottery spots - friend or foe?. It talks mostly about the Kona Lottery spots. Here's a recent one giving the pros and cons The Ironman lottery... worthwhile? 

What is the lottery? 

According to the Ironman website "The Ford Ironman World Championship selects 200 Age Group athletes worldwide and five Physically Challenged athletes each year via the Ironman Lottery Program. Starting in 2011, slots will NOT be divided between U.S. and International athletes.  Two hundred (200) names will be drawn from one pool for selection."

Personally, I'm not much a fan of the lottery. It's labeled as the World Championship. Since it's the world championships, shouldn't you be a BAMF (Bad Ass Mother Fucker) who trained, kicked ass in their AG or in the Pro ranks to get there? It's just like the Xterra Trail Running World Championship except that any average Joe like me can sign up for the race. If you didn't know, I'm probably the worlds worst runner. Somehow I managed to finish 3rd in my AG and 8th overall with a sad time of 25:09.

However, from a business standpoint, the lottery is a great thing. With an entry fee of $650.00 USD x 200 people, that's a $130,000. Not to mention the economical boost it gives to Kailua Kona during the event.

What's your take on it? For the record, I have no intentions on ever entering the lottery. I rather earn my slot through dedication and hard work. I wouldn't feel right taking the spot of someone who worked harder than me.

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