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Outlaw 2014
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Although I am surprised that IMUK sold out in 23 hours
A branded-IM has something else to offer though, so them selling out seems fairly normal practice (although I was suprised at how fast IMUK went this year too! Maybe its the rumours of an easier bike course that did it!).
Being in the middle of the country makes it roughly equidistant from anywhere in the country, but its a long way to drive from the south, which is where a greater proportion of people live, so I dont think its location.
Yeah, it would be interesting to see what proportion of first timers there are, and how many people go back - and for those who do go back, for how many is it their 2nd (or more) race of the year?
More by luck that judgement I seem to have put PSOF as I registered - which, from the above, is what I should have done.
Flyaway, I chose this as my first IM because it's relatively local so the family can get back for school easily, cheaper than an M Dot event, it fits in with my holiday plans for 2014, gets good reviews and who can forget the pirates. I fancied Almere (I used to live close to the old finish line) but it's after the holidays so a few weeks of no training would be needed.
I was put off Bolton and Wales because of the hilly courses, it's going to be hard enough as it is, at Bolton the logisitics look complicated and I don't fancy a first IM swim in the sea at Wales.
I love your comment about it's a long way to drive from the south, which is where a greater proportion of people live. People do exist outside the M25 you know, despite what the BBC would have you think. I remember when the FA were deciding where to have the new national stadium people were saying if it's not Wembley it will be hard to get to. If you live outside London Wembley is an utter PITA to get to IMO
Also, other the IM, outlaw and challenge, none of the other seem to go to heavily into marketing, I beleive there is something like 17 full distance races in the UK next year and could name maybe 8 off the top of my head.
And wembly is a pain even if you live in london
Maybe it was the rumours about how easy is was to qualify for Kona from!
And you know I'm only joking, congratulations again btw, has it sunk in yet?
Flyaway I think the reputation onestep has build shows in the entries and that's all it is. People keep coming back for more and tell the newbie's it's a good one to pop there cherries.
I live about 6 miles away from hpp and so can easily access it, no brainer really as there are no accomodation costs and I can ride the course as often as I like. I did it a few years ago and that's when i became a pirate, met lots of you there and were friendly and helpful. It may be a few years before I do this one again as I do want to do a european IM.
Actually I totally agree with what flyaway is saying.
Both times I've been at the Outlaw the finish grandstand has been at least half pirates and associated urchins (even more so in 2012). I wish I could have joined the official sailing for my first IM, but I was a student and couldn't really afford to do Outlaw but did.
The second year I did Outlaw was because it was the official sailing - by this point I was perfectly capable of going elsewhere but thought that atmosphere would be incredible - and rightly so.
This year I did Mallorca 70.3, Switzerland, and will be doing Lanza 70.3 next month. The official IM bug has definitely bitten - it's a bit more expensive to enter and if you go to a destination then the costs go up (but that's not Ironman's fault!) but the experience is something I'll remember for a LONG time.
That said... I'm still signed up for Outlaw next year as I'm on a super tight budget and still think it's a good event - just not as much of an experience as a branded event in Europe. 2015 I want to race LD twice - IMUK and a Challenge event somewhere exotic...
(How one can say one is on a budget and race LD is a topic for a whole other thread)
I completely understand why people enter Outlaw, I do think theyre missing somehting on the IM experience, having been to many other events myself there is a vast difference between the big branded Ironman experience you get on the continent and Outlaw.
I do find it a bit bizzare that people slog themselves silly to prepare for 9-12 months, all those early morning starts, cold winter training rides etc. Then there's the cost of all the gear prep events etc. Yet after all that effort their reasons for doing outlaw is its easy to get to and cheap.
There is the other reason, i.e. great pirate support etc, aFlyaway is right, if you took the pirate support away at the finish line, it would be a lot quiter for those finishing later in the evening. I like to think anyone who enjoys the support will remember and make an effort to pay it back from the other side.
Have to agree with Flyaway, and certainly hope, going forward, that it doesn't become the 'default' option for the main Pirate outing each year. Yes, its well organised and doing the feed station is great fun, but this tendency to go for an 'easy' course is not a good sign. Its an Ironman [ok - iron distance] - its not meant to be easy! If swimming in the sea frightens you, then do Wales just for that challenge alone!
Also, for those that think it may be their one and only long distance race, wouldn't crossing the finishing line on the sea front in Nice, or Lanza, be worth the few extra quid?
Raf afraid if you don't have the quid to spend might be a factor in your chose?
Cake - I appreciate that it might not be an easy option for everyone, but where there's a will there's a way and all that. The difference in cost between doing Outlaw next year and Nice for me would be the same as a two pints of Guinness a week.
Isn't it a bit like VLM? Hundreds of marathons to choose from in this country bit this is the one people want to do,.most often as their first and then start looking at others.
l know with two kids under three, I won't be racing out of the UK for several years and would like to collect as many of the other UK races as possible in that time
I agree that the european ironman races are brilliant and majical.........the outlaw doesn't really come near them........
but so many cost really does come into it.especially if you have a family.....if it wasn't for the british races then i would not be able to do ironmen at the moment......
so i think its great to have a second back up race as an alternative to the main sailing abroad for those who want to have a ironman race with pirate support,............and its a great was for those who want to go to a race to support and be part of the day.....
the pirates is so big as a group now that there is room for several races through the year........
for those who want a challenge you can do an ironman a week for 5 weekends in a row starting at IMUK.all in the uk......there are more and more coming to the calander
and by family I don't mean cost, I mean packing up the kitchen sink and making it vaguely interesting for them whilst I register, brief, rack and finally race....almost three days.
In retrospect, it is worth adding that nearly all of us challenging the reason for entering Outlaw have done it ourselves, have piled praise on the organisation and could therefore be at risk of not living our own ideals?
I guess we're not criticising people for doing it, nor should that be a reflection of those signing up for 2014, my own motivation was to remind people its not the only race out there.
agree....as i said camping and petrol and race at outlaw can be done for under £400..........Nice you would have no chancge after all done including insurance and parking at airports etc for £1500...........and thats just for one.if you want the family to go you are talking about thousands...
I knew at least one person would bite.
Population of South and Eastern England: 32 million
Population of the Midlands (east and west): 11 million
Population of Northern England: 14.5 million
Population of Scotland: 7 million
So Nottingham is "local" (in the grand scale of things) to 11 million people. 32 million (population of South and Eastern England, plus Scotland) have a long way to go (to be fair, the Scots have a long way to go to get anywhere, even in Scotland, and terrible roads to do it on). Even if the "average" northerner has to travel as far as the average Southerner, there are still more southerners. Sorry, but it's just demographics.
I'm not saying southerners have any more right to anything, I'm just saying you often hear the argument that its easy to get to, but I think the demographics of tri suggest otherwise. The average salary for a triathlete (as in a member of the public who competes in Tri, not a pro) is £45,000 pa. The average household income for London/South England is considerably higher than for the rest of the country, and although the cost of living is also higher, this suggests that more triathletes live in the south.
The Outlaw is a great event and if you don't have anything to compare it against it does stand up, but if you have done both and then compare events its no contest and before anyone asks why I went back this year, I wasn't going to race long at all this year but they open up late enteries and I couldn't resist, but am going back to IM next year.
but the southerners are full of NIMBY's.hence the trouble at Henley............so you won't get an Ironman distance race done near there,,,,,,,
but i always think nottingham is pretty easy to get to from London.....just up the M1 and you are there......probably as close to London as you are going to get
much easier than either of the Ironman venues
No-one in Wales can afford tri
3 million Welsh, but if you live in south or West Wales, its still a long way from Nottingham.
outlaw is a good race - and I understand why it is newbie friendly
however, european IMs are way better.
I was even going to give IMUK a go next year as apparently anyone can qualify there
(and I wanted to get to Kona -5) but its only gone and softened up and sold out already
50 more places available on Sunday.no excuses
So what about the idiots that put rocks on the road at IM Wales
The guy who covered the road in tacks before a Scottish Sportive
The bloke near Outlaw that took out a High Court Injunction to try and stop the race
er...we have the Midnight man by Dartford Bridge thank you very much.
but I have not run this one past the missus yet