Wow, Ironman Isn't for the Poor

On a lark, I checked out the Coeur d'Alene Ironman, held next June. I couldn't really imagine doing an Ironman, but then I used to say the same thing about a marathon. Pretty much anything is possible, I figure, so long as your choice is finishing or risking embarrassment. In any case, the race is nearly sold out. The entry fee: $550. Really? Marathons are like $80. I think the triathlon I just did was $120. I paid like $20 to do a 50k in Brooklyn -- and it came with a post-race pizza party. $550 is a whole lot of money, isn't it? Then again, the thing would probably take me 11 hours, so it's like $50 an hour. I'm sure there's a good reason for the pricing with the infrastructure needed to run such a long race. Still, it's pretty eye opening. It says something about triathlons overall. The demographics are so high end. Even the Ironman has an "executive challenge series." Alas. That's a reason why, if we're talking about endurance stuff, my heart is with the ultramarathons, which tend to attract more weirdos than corporate bigwigs.