Limited slots available - what happened?
Or how we unintentionally dissappointed people
Since its inception in 2015, the Japanese Odyssey has always been a very small event.
Starting initially with four riders, it gradually grew through word of mouth.
At its peak, in 2019, we reached sixty-four participants.
Each year, before we open the registration, we usually get a lot of interest, are bombarded with questions and messages. People from allround the world telling us that they are going to take part.
But once registration opens, it is usually a whole other story. Hundreds of expressions of interest give way to to a few dozen of registrations.
And it is fine.
Our goal was never to make a big event ; our organization is in itself very small, very amateur, we’re just a two-men team (with a lot of support, granted).
So we never had to limit the number of entrants. Even this year, we reassured a lot of you a few days ago, saying that you could take your time since we wouldn’t limit the registrations.
And then it happened.
For the first time in the history of our small event. Doors got flooded as soon as we opened the registration. We reached fifty entrants in the first 72 hours, and it didn’t slow down.
Obviously, we fell honoured and very excited about that, but at that pace, we realized that we would soon hit our limits regarding logistics and security.
Limits that we never thought could be reached.
We intend the Japanese Odyssey to be an enjoyable event for all entrants, and for this to happen, we are unfortunately forced to set a limit to the registration.
At the time we are writing this, there are approximately 15 slots left.
Until Monday, April 21st, we will prioritize non-male and Japanese entrants, as an effort of inclusion and diversity.
If there are still slots open after that time, we will then allocate the remaining places to pre-registered applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
We realize this must be a huge disappointment for a lot of you - this hasn’t been a light-hearted decision for us.
We want to thank you again for your enthusiasm toward our small event, and hope you come to understand our decision.