Affordable Ironman Alternatives

Official Ironman events have an undeniable appeal, but several other series host equally rewarding races—often for much less than the price of racing under the M-dot. Whether you’re looking for the brand-name experience or trying to stretch your entry fee budget to the max, here’s what your race dollars can buy.

This article was originally published in the Jan./Feb. 2013 issue of Inside Triathlon magazine.

Entrance Exam

Race distance, series reputation and time before the event all impact entry price. Do your research to find the race experience you want at the best price.

The Fat Cats

Even with plenty of series vying to challenge Ironman and lower-priced events, the champion stands alone. With nine sold-out iron-distance races and a whopping 24 Ironman 70.3 sellouts last year in North America alone, most of the sport’s registration dollars are still funneling toward World Triathlon Corporation, the owner of Ironman. The width and shade of each pie piece represents the number of registrants in the race, and the length depicts the estimated total money spent on entry fees.

Bulk Discount

Looking to race as much as possible without going broke? For $1,200, Rev3’s Season Pass will get you on the start line of all 10 Rev3 triathlons in 2013. And the best part: It’s transferable, so you can split one with a friend or family member. Rev3tri.com

Data collected by Raymond Britt and Adam Elder.

Download the PDF version of this article.