More than 4,500 athletes entered in WMA event

Late Registration Available.

A rush of entries before the April 24 deadline put Sacramento organizers on track to exceed their goal of 5,000 total entries for this summer’s WMA Championships.

As of April 26, 4,510 athletes from 90 countries had entered the July 6-17 event, including 1,817 U.S. entries.

“We’ve made a lot of progress the last few weeks on the organization front, but it’s very encouraging to see such a strong response from the athletes, both here in the United States and around the world,” said John McCasey, chief executive of the Sacramento Sports Commission and chairman of the local organizing committee. “We’ll do everything we possibly can to make this a visit they’ll never forget.”

This marks the first time in 16 years that the WMA Championships have been held in the United States. Sacramento played host to the USA Masters Track & Field Championships last summer.

Late registration being accepted – but not for long

The Sacramento LOC is accepting late entries for the WMA Championships. Please read the following information:

For athletes who are doing their own registration online at wma2011.com:

The on-time entry deadline for athletes who registered online at wma2011.com registering was April 24.
After April 24 to May 6, athletes who register directly online will be charged a $50 (USD) late fee per person. This late fee will be combined with the Registration Fee, so athletes will see the Registration Fee increase from $66.25 to $116.25 during this period.
After May 6 until a to-be-determined date in mid-May, athletes who register directly online will be charged a $100 (USD) late fee per person. This late fee will be combined with the Registration Fee, so athletes will see the Registration Fee increase to $166.25 during this period.

Affiliates who are entering their athletes:

Affiliates have until May 6 to finish entering any paper registrations they've received. The Online Registration Fee will continue to be $66.25 during this period.
Affiliates mailing hard copies of entries (without first entering them into the online entry system) have until May 6 to have their entries received by the Sacramento LOC. The Paper Registration Fee will continue to be $76.25 during this period.
No hard-copy entries will be accepted by the Sacramento LOC after May 6.
After May 6 until a to-be-determined date in mid-May, any new online entries will be charged a $100 (USD) late fee per person. This late fee will be combined with the Registration Fee, so Affiliates will see the Registration Fee increase to $166.25 during this period.

Other registration notes:

Once an athlete is entered, there are no late fees for adding additional events or switching events. Events can be added or changed, without penalty, until the final to-be-determined deadline in mid-May.
The final deadline in mid-May will be posted at wma2011.com, once it is finalized.
All deadlines are at 23:59 U.S. Pacific Time.
Paper entries submitted directly to the Sacramento LOC without first being entered into the online entry system are still subject to the $10 per-person paper entry fee in addition to the late fees described above.

Verifications:

Affiliates should continue to verify their country's entries until the to-be-determined deadline in mid-May. Be sure to look in both the "new" and the "updated" status categories for entries that need to be verified.
All athletes must be verified to compete in the WMA Championships.

Hotel, dormitory rooms still available

Hotel rooms are still available in the 25 contracted Local Organizing Committee properties. These hotels are located close to the various venues and include a free transportation pass along the Regional Transit train and bus system for the entire WMA Championships.
Visit wma2011.com and click on the “Accommodations/Transportation” tab to make your reservation.
If you are calling or emailing the hotel directly, remember to identify yourself as a WMA participant to get a reduced rate.
Dorm rooms are still available at Sacramento State near the main stadium. Visit wma2011.com and click on the “Dormitory Housing” to make your reservation.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers

WMA participants are eligible to receive a discounted rate from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Click this link to learn more.

Good luck with your training and travel preparations. For updates and previous newsletters, visit wma.2011.com.

Follow WMA news on Twitter @SacSportsComish.