5150 - Daylight robbery

[Garfield2010]

They should hold more tri's at Buffelspoort dam. Lovely dam. Just `n pity the people running the place is a bunch of idiots (Weermag RSM'e) wat aan kleinmannetjie sindroom ly!

[AndreZA]

 

Petrol costs @ R0.80/km = R270

Toll fees (assuming that only the existing tolls are in operation) = R 87

Maintenance costs @ R1.00/km = R340

 

 

Everything is gonna suffer if you make these calculations. We've got a "free weekend" away but it's gonna cost us about R600 in petrol and ton for toll gates. So much for being free.

[FC&P2C]

Lets assume that I cough up the R695 to enter before 10 June. What am I going to spend getting to Bela Bela.

 

Petrol costs @ R0.80/km = R270

Toll fees (assuming that only the existing tolls are in operation) = R 87

Maintenance costs @ R1.00/km = R340

 

Therefore to enter an Olympic distance race is going to cost me slightly under R 1 400 without buying food!

 

Makes you think...........doesn't it.

 

I will enter before 11/6 myself and my wife. Then we will leave 2 hours earlier than normal on raceday and drive at 55km/h behind an overloaded Zim bakkie to save fuel. This way I can get the cost per person down to R1000. BARGAIN!!!

[davem]

The 5150 website is up www.5150.co.za

 

Very good website. So much better than the really poor Ironman SA site (www.triangle.cc)

 

The event actually looks really good.

 

It will be a very different experience to the BSG series or Troisport series. More of a full weekend event, compared to the "be home by lunch" of the other events.

 

The entry fee of R800 is actually only going to be a small part of the costs for the weekend.

 

Unfortunately the website does not give details of any race pack goodies included or of the awards function (particularly costs). One of the silly costs of Ironman is the R300 for your partner to attend the awards ceremony. Hopefully not the same here.

[rudi-h]

The 5150 website is up www.5150.co.za

 

Very good website. So much better than the really poor Ironman SA site (www.triangle.cc)

 

The event actually looks really good.

 

It will be a very different experience to the BSG series or Troisport series. More of a full weekend event, compared to the "be home by lunch" of the other events.

 

The entry fee of R800 is actually only going to be a small part of the costs for the weekend.

 

Unfortunately the website does not give details of any race pack goodies included or of the awards function (particularly costs). One of the silly costs of Ironman is the R300 for your partner to attend the awards ceremony. Hopefully not the same here.

 

Dude, this may be true what your saying in terms of it not being a "home by lunch" event, but FFS, it's only 51.5km's, so why should it be a weekend deal? Surely you should be able to choose if you wanna make it a "home by lunch" day, and pay for only that. Triathlon has already had the "yuppie" tag for a few years now, but it seems that its becoming some serious status thing like playing polo or having a golf membership at St. Andrews...

 

Some of us just like racing Tri's for what it is, without all the freebies and the shirts and the BS. With that said, I dont mind paying good money for a well-organized event, it just gets a bit much if you like racing try to do events quite often.

Edited June 2, 2011 by rudi-h

[davem]

Hi rudi

 

I couldn't agree more. I was just putting the info up for people to talk about. Trying to be impartial.

 

For the exact reasons you give, I probably won't do the event myself. It will be a verrrry long day to drive up from Joburg and back the same day, particularly if the awards presentation is worthwhile going to (and I have paid for it in my entry).

 

Although my initial reaction to the price was quite negative, I see what the organisers are trying to achieve. It is a different type of event. Whether there is enough demand to make it successful remains to be seen. When I look at the Roodeplaat BSG, the overwhelming support and vibe with 1000 competitors made it a great day and yes, it cost very little. How many of those thousand will go?

 

Ironman SA has always put on amazing events. I don't know whether their vision for this will meet with mass approval. If they only get 200 competitors, then they will probably change their approach.

 

What it does create is a gap for the Troisport Tri Series to fill or a BSG Olympic distance (hint hint). If fact it makes them look very reasonably priced.

 

We do need more Olympic distance events. The fact that people are so upset about the entry fee indicates there is great demand for the event distance but there is a limit in the current economic climate.

[rudi-h]

i hear you and agree too. Somehow I think events like the epic and ironman etc. have set a crazy benchmark in terms of pricing and as a result we have become accustomed to paying shiteloads of money to do simple things like run, swim and ride our bikes. I'm not saying its wrong for them to ask the prices they do, and they will most likely outsell the event at those prices anyway. Its just becoming very expensive very fast.

 

For adults with decent jobs its probably not the end of the world to pay R800 for a race, but it surely closes the doors for school kids, students and okes fresh out of school or varsity, which IMO can surely not be good for the development and sustainability of the sport.

[Lenard]

Ironman is a foreign based company and they must pay royalties, licence fees, chip fees, appearence fees etc to host events in SA. Making lots of money from us folk.

[pastapouch]

Goodness, would like to know why this is almost the same as the 70.3 entry fee.

[GLuvsMtb]

The leveller here is supply and demand. Hopefully good local orginising companies like Stillwater or Dryland takes notice and start putting up good quality tri-athlons. If we get in a position where we have 1 race in every province around every weekend or so, prices will inevitably come down.

 

The approach to boycott is in my view the incorrect one. Rather support to enable other orginisers to enter the market to ensure bigger supply of events that will ensure lower prices.

 

Event orginisers will be much more inclined to take critisism from actual customers than from "potential" customers.

 

I'm scared sh!tless about the 1.5km swim, but will try and get ready for the Knysna and CT events.

[TriGuru76]

The leveller here is supply and demand. Hopefully good local orginising companies like Stillwater or Dryland takes notice and start putting up good quality tri-athlons. If we get in a position where we have 1 race in every province around every weekend or so, prices will inevitably come down.

 

The approach to boycott is in my view the incorrect one. Rather support to enable other orginisers to enter the market to ensure bigger supply of events that will ensure lower prices.

 

 

The problem here is the event organizers will see this as an opportunity to up the costs of their own events to the R400 - R600 mark. They want to compare themselves to the well oiled machine called IMO.

They are just slowly squeezing the live out of Tri.

 

You have to remember that this type of event has a huge following in the USA. more than 50 5150 events per year. so they have safety in numbers.

The tri pie (hey that works) is just so big in SA.

In the USA they will fill up an event to the max (1500+ competitors) from one city or state.

That is about the extent of triathletes we have in SA. you may think this is not true.

Check with TSA how many registered athletes there are in SA. Less than 1500.

In the US each and every competitor has to be registered with USTA.

TSA should really start marketing and getting the athletes onboard.

Their jobs should be to regulate the Tri market when it comes to event entries.

Instead of bringing more (mass market) into the sport they are setting themselves up for the top of the income bracket sport.

So much for SPORTS DEVELOPMENT in SA!!!!!!!

[flex]

I think it could be productive to discuss this with the organisers, either through social media (I'm sure they have a Facebook page, will have a look now) or just calling the office. It would be good to make them aware of the unhappiness with the entry fee and to also find out what's included.

[Squirrel]

I think it could be productive to discuss this with the organisers, either through social media (I'm sure they have a Facebook page, will have a look now) or just calling the office. It would be good to make them aware of the unhappiness with the entry fee and to also find out what's included.

 

Let us know how that pans out. Dealing with Paul Wolf(Organiser)is a joke.

[gadget]

I think it could be productive to discuss this with the organisers, either through social media (I'm sure they have a Facebook page, will have a look now) or just calling the office. It would be good to make them aware of the unhappiness with the entry fee and to also find out what's included.

 

I really don't know what the issue is - it is a bit of cash, yes. One or two nights out on the town will cost you more. This is a new event, so not an event that we've always done and now the price is to high. Either enter...or don't. A couple of friends have decided to fly up from Cape Town to do the event, just because it is a privilege to be fit and to do the first 5150 in SA... good on them!

 

This event WILL sell out. At R695 or R800...guaranteed.

Edited June 2, 2011 by gadget

[Big J-WP]

So how much do you guys pay for a Docter's Appointment that takes 15mins?

[davem]

I think the challenge I face with this personally is that the event is structured in such a way to be an expensive and time consuming event.

 

Registration closes at 10h00 so must be there probably by 9h00. Start 13h15. Bike check out after 17h00. Ironman check outs are very slow as you have to hand back the chip.

 

So really I can't practically make it a single day event. Accommodation costs, food costs, house sitter or putting the dogs in kennels Fri, Sat and Sun (very few kennels allow collection on Sun). Time off work to drop and collect.

 

Awards ceremony with likely an entry cost for my partner. (The R300 at Ironman is galling for what you actually get).

 

My little 2h30 Swim Bike Run now requires a family weekend expedition which makes it very difficult for me personally to participate both from a time and cost perspective.

 

This event is structured in such a way that excludes me. It is not practical to do this as a one day event. I feel a little miffed after being so excited about having another event to participate in.

 

That said, I like Paul Wolff and his extremely well run events. I love Ironman and 70.3. They are incredible. There is no doubt that the particpants will have a fantastic time and probably get fair value for the money they spend.

 

Unfortunately its unlikely that I will be one of them, which is very disappointing.