Deadlines fast approaching for San Sebastian
If you’re planning to compete at the WMA world championships in Spain, you better know this: Deadline for American entries (without late fees) is May 6. That’s Friday. USATF further sez: “If entries are received after May 6, but on or before May 27, a $68.00 late fee must be added to your entry fees. From May 28 to June 17, add $135.00. NO entries will be accepted after June 17, 2005.â€
The meet is costly enough without late fees. One U.S. masters runner told me that his entry in just two events — with no frills like athletes party — is $147.
Of course, it’s nonsense that meet organizers need to have entries in hand more than three months before the start of competition — August 22, 2005.
Other major meets get along with a later registration deadline.
For the 2004 Olympic Trials, the last day for athletes to register (online, in fact) was June 23, 2004. The meet began 16 days later — July 9.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, the deadline for final entries was July 21, 2004. The Games began August 13.
Yeah, but those events aren’t as complicated as the WMA world meet, where you have so many heats and events in so many age groups, you say.
Then what about the USATF national youth championships? Lots of kids in lots of age groups.
The meet starts June 28, 2005. Deadline for entries? June 14.
Truth is, there’s nothing in WMA guidelines for potential host sites or in the WMA sample contract that stipulates an early deadline for athletes. And Hy-Tek software doesn’t require two months of keyboarding to set up heats and flights.
Unlike athletes in other major events, we pay our own way. Instead of giving us a break, WMA meet organizers go out of their way to force athletes to decide on their entry months in advance. This is ridiculous — and shameful.
And anuther thing: WMA is in a death struggle with a variety of world masters games. The competition for athletes is fierce. Deadlines are one way to win the war. The 2005 World Masters Games in Edmonton, Alberta, begin July 22. Deadline for registration is May 20.
Not great, but better than WMA.
Bottom line: When it comes to deadlines for entering major meets, athletes are the last consideration.
One Response
Of course the early entry dates and penalties are an unnecessary farce. As I have said before, it takes one minute to enter a competitor into the HY TEK system, regardless of the events entered. Then, 30 minutes before the race starts, the heats are drawn up based upon who declared. Of course since so many people have issues within the 3 months since they were forced to enter and PAY, the start list is much different from the entry list. We really should have some leadership here to correct this unnecessary penalty.
Leave a Reply