How to get into Ironman

There are numerous ways to get into Ironman so you can swim 3.8k, bike 180k, run 42k, for fun. The most obvious which is to register, is not always the easiest. Some races are so popular, like Ironman Canada in Penticton B.C., that you must be present the day after the race to register for the next year. You can register for the online lottery. What happens is you pay to have your name put in a lottery draw, then sit back, cross your fingers and wait to see if you were chosen. You can race for a cause such as Team Diabetes or Cops for Cancer where you must raise so many dollars, but then your race entry fee, your travel and accommodations and a race uniform are paid for, plus training and support are available. If you are a CEO, President of Chief Officer of a company you can participate in the CEO Challenge. Little known is the Community Fund where you pay double the entry fee, $1000 and you can get a spot when registration is closed. By far the most difficult way to enter Ironman is to try to qualify. The Boston Marathon qualifying process is straightforward. You must run a certain time based on your age. If you do this on a certified course you send in your application and you?re running Boston. To qualify for an Ironman spot you show up, race and hope that everybody else is slower. There are a certain number of spots based on age; they go to the fastest in the age group. Allan finished 5th in his age group and has qualified to run Ironman Florida which he will be doing with Jeff Walsh, while Angela finished 3rd in her age group and she will be competing in Ironman Madison Wisconsin. All three of these individuals will have the opportunity to qualify for Ironman Hawaii at their respective races, if they finish in the top of the age groups. Congratulations to all of our racers.