IRONMAN sent out a press release on Thursday regarding changes to the current 2015 IRONMAN World Championship Hawaii State/Big Island Lottery program.
The press release stated:
“The IRONMAN World Championship Hawaii State/Big Island Lottery will no longer operate in its current form.
Legal residents of the state of Hawaii will have the opportunity to enter the new Hawaii State/Big Island Drawing from May 31 to June 5.
The drawing will offer 44 slots to the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon. Of the 44 slots, 24 will be awarded to residents of the Big Island of Hawaii and 20 slots will be awarded to Hawaii state residents who do not reside on the Big Island. Hawaii residents may enter the drawing for free online at IRONMAN.com. Prior entries are not valid.”
The press release went on to say: “To ensure their health and safety, drawing winners will be required to show proof by August 25, 2015, that they have completed a triathlon that consists of at least a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1 mile run between October 11, 2014 and August 23, 2015. Winning entrants that meet all eligibility requirements will also be required to pay the registration fee for the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship triathlon.”
The changes to the Hawaii State/Big Island Lottery program come in the aftermath of IRONMAN’s recent fine of nearly $2.8 million for running an illegal lottery that gave competitors a chance to compete in the World Championship race in October on the Big Island.
While the IRONMAN Lottery is not the same as the lottery open to Hawaii State/Big Island competitors, IRONMAN’s release did not specify whether a Hawaii athlete needs to have three years of residency to qualify, or if the required triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run needed to be an IRONMAN-branded event — both requirements of the former Hawaii lottery program.
To shed some light and to further clarify IRONMAN’s recent changes that came just two days before Saturday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii event, Diana Bertsch, Vice President of Ironman World Championship Events, was able to answer a few questions during a phone interview on Thursday.
“Based on what happened recently with IRONMAN’s lottery program, we had to reevaluate the way we ran our lottery program to make sure we were following proper legal guidelines within this state,” she said. “As a result, we decided that it was important for us to continue with the lottery slots. We wanted to make certain that we could continue to provide that for all Hawaii residents.”
Bertsch clarified that the former requirement of needing to show proof of residency by being a Hawaii resident for a minimum of three years is no longer.
“It’s no longer a requirement,” Bertch said. “Residents will just need to show that they are a legal resident by their Hawaii State driver’s license or something issued by the government.”
Bertsch also stated the qualifying triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run does not need to be an IRONMAN branded event. It could be any event that offers that validating distance as long as the athlete is able to complete that distance based upon the event’s cut-off standards. February’s Team Mango Mini Monster Half-Iron distance event is a good example of an eligible triathlon.
Hawaii athletes wanting to be eligible for the 2015 Hawaii State/Big Island Lottery program will need to complete the free online registration starting on May 31 through June 5 at IRONMAN.com.
Bertsch said the drawing of 44 slots will be held on June 10, where 24 slots will be awarded to Big Island residents and 20 slots to Hawaii State residents. Lottery winners will be announced on June 12.
“We are happy that we can continue with our lottery program while fitting into what is legal,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that we were creating something that wouldn’t run into future problems.”
For more information on the Hawaii State/Big Island Lottery program, visit ironman.com.
Hawaii Residency Requirements
A legal resident of Hawaii, as evidenced by a copy of the entrant’s current Hawaii State ID or Hawaii State Driver’s License and two of the following documents to validate residency in order to confirm Hawaiian residency at the time of registration for the Drawing: (a) current valid Vehicle Registration or Title, (b) voter registration card or other mail addressed to the applicant from a government or medical entity that is not more than two months old, (c) utility bill with applicant’s name and address (not more than two (2) months from application date), (d) checking or savings account statement not more than two (2) months old, (e) payroll check or check stub with applicant’s name and address issued by an employer not more than two months old, (f) current mortgage account or proof of home ownership, (g) current residential rental or time-share contract for six (6) months or more, (h) Wage and Tax Statement form W-2 or 1099R, original or certified copy issued within the last year, (i) receipt for personal property taxes paid or current property tax assessment form, (j) Medical card issued by a health insurance agency, provided the principal residence address is printed on the card, (k) Spouse or parent affidavit, provided the spouse or parent’s address can be verified, (l) in areas where a number and street name have not been assigned for United States Mail Delivery, an address convention used by the United States Postal Service is acceptable. Other forms of documentation may be required by the Sponsor, as needed.