Ironman charity places

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.

Comments

  • 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

  • I have a good base of friends and family that would sponsor me so raising the charity money would probably be easier than raising the entry fee at the moment. living on a shoestring. Thanks for replying
  • Tonto - before you get into this, be aware that long distance triathlon can be very expensive. In addition to the usual kit which presumably you already have, you will need a reasonable fund for bike servicing and spares, nutrition, transport and entry fees for training sessions (ow swimming etc) warmup races, transport and accommodation for your chosen race - not to mention additional costs for things like insurance, day licenses etc etc etc. The training takes a toll on your equipment so you may also need to budget for new goggles, shorts, training tops etc...... Your family and friends might club together and get bits for birthdays etc - but if you've already tapped they up for sponsorship perhaps not.

    You do seem to care very deeply for your chosen charity though - why did you go for that one in particular?
  • You've probably picked the most expensive sport in the world to do 'for charity'.
  • Wise words ladies
  • Just shred your money instead, it's a lost easier, and probably cheaper in the long run.
  • i think its wrongwrongwrong

    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
  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    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.

  • SyM.es wrote (see)
    Wise words ladies
    I heard this chap had to remortgage his house to pay for a jumbo box of inner tubes. image
  • Joking aside, Tonto I can see that you really want to do this race and I have thought of a constructive suggestion. Why not let family and friends know that it is your dream and suggest they might club together to cover the entry fee. image
  • and then start your Christmas list early...

    • bike
    • wetsuit
    • bumper packs of gels
    • kit for all weathers
    • entry fees for warm up races
    • cycling shoos
    • running shoos
    • pool entries
    • petrol vouchers

    etc

  • Interesting concept, never having done a race (but other things!) for charity. As m'learned colleagues have said the IM entry fee is the least of your problems, there are many and greater expenses.

    You may want to look into Plan B if you serious about IM on a budget ...
  • fat buddhafat buddha ✭✭✭
    as others have said, the entry fee is a minor part of the financial burden of an IM although when it comes at you in one hit on the CC it does sting a bit - and they aren't getting cheaper. I think IMCH 2012 is €650? that's around £550 or so which is a lot....

    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 bargainimage.and a good charity

  • Waffy - guess who had a flat this morning too... image
  • Some people got the wrong end of the stick here. I wasn't trying to raise money off family and friends for my entrance fee!! I thought that the charity got given free places and then people like myself would get sponsorship for doing the race to give to the chosen 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.
  • fat buddhafat buddha ✭✭✭
    Tonto - you'll always attract the odd negative comment when it comes to charity events so don't let it put you off.

    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.
  • HappychapHappychap ✭✭✭

    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!

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