I am really wanting to try an ironman triathlon. I've done a sprint and an olympic distance and am doing another Olympic distance in a few weeks. I'm doing the Liverpool marathon this year and was wanting to progress to Ironman in 2012. However the entry fee will be a real struggle. I was just wondering if you do it for a charity and raise "x" amount for the charity, do they pay your entrance fee.
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Yes I suspect they would give ou your place ... I also suspect that you may find it a lot easier to save up £200 for entry fee than get some £2000 + sponsorship from friends
You do seem to care very deeply for your chosen charity though - why did you go for that one in particular?
if you want to do an IM ... do it
if you want to raise money for charity ... do it
but dont use money raised to pay/subsidise your own costs
So you want other people to pay your entry fee, so that you can do the event you want to do?
I expect you are going to tell them all that £200 of what they give you doesn't go to the good work of the charity, but to paying for you to do the event?
What are you going to do if some expensive bit of kit needs replacing? Send a hat round?
I do hope you don't come asking me.
and then start your Christmas list early...
etc
You may want to look into Plan B if you serious about IM on a budget ...
RNLI however are offering a discounted entry for this years IM Wales - £300 and NO sponsorship funds needed although they are "expecting" takers to find at least a £100 but no compulsion. they are the event's preferred charity so I guess there's a bit of mutual support between the 2 going on to get publicity for the 1st running of the event.
don't know if they'll offer similar in future years but it might be worth keeping an eye on it
look for a cheaqper alternative................the non branded ones are cheaper than the official ones
they start at £135.........
but you should be willing tio pay to do the once in a lifetime experience.........
if your friends are willing to sponsor you then why not ask them to put their hands in their pockets to pay for your place,,,,,,,,,,,because if you do get a charity place that would pay the entrance for you then you have to make it clear to the sponsors that their money pays for your entry...................
many like me would not sponsor someone when we have to pay them to have a hooliday or a funday
ironman wales has a few charity places this year for the RNLI...........but you have to pay £300 for it..........so a bargain.and a good charity
I have a friend who has started a charity to get young people off the streets after his son (my apprentice) was murdered, and he was also wondering if he could get free entrance places to give to people who would then raise money for his charity.
I have all the equipment needed to do this race and was only interested in doing one that was local ie Wales. Some comments have really almost put me off, thanks for the advice anyway guys.
I think what you need to know is do any IM events offer charity places like say London Marathon or London Tri??
I don't know of an IM branded event that offers charity places like that but there might be a few non-IM branded long distance tris that do but you'd need to check their websites. the nearest is the reduced entry that RNLI are offering for Wales
I would suggest that your friend checks with the London Tri organisers about getting some charity places for their events (the do Blenheim as well) but these won't be IM distance.
I'm afraid for London Marathon, London Triathlon et al charities have to pay huge moolah to get their entries so inevitably someones sponsorship money goes to pay for them.
A friend of mine who was working for a small local charity applied for London Triathlon places, she was shocked to be told that she had to purchase them in bulk (batches of 10 or something - apologies I can't remember exact details) for quite a sum of money (£100's not £10's). That was two years ago.
As an event organiser I can understand that there is a cost involved and in the tri world that cost can be quite extensive hence the higher prices.
Mind you - I still can't understand why the VLM charges such a high price for their charity places but that's a discussion for another day...
So far as I am away IMUK has official charity places through the local Rotary club with a minimum pledge of £1,000.00, I think you have to pay £100.00 with your entry.
The North American IM races all have charity slots but are $1,000.00 dollars and YOU pay that amount for a place!
RNLI ironman wales deal!!
£200 REG/ £100 SPONSORSHIP -http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/west/event_detail?articleid=704075&categoryid=21824
£300 REG -http://www.rnli.org.uk/how_to_support_us/events/event_detail?articleid=704088&categoryid=21882