Seen in the latest Ironman email newsletter:

For a sixth consecutive year, Ironman will conduct its annual auction with eBay, designed to benefit a variety of charitable organizations worldwide. The Ironman Foundation has raised more than $2,000,000 through the auction since its inception in 2003.
This year’s auction will include six slots to the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship taking place on October 11 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The auction will begin on Sunday, April 13 and will incorporate six phases with one slot available per week. The minimum bid for slots to the event will begin at $10,000. The average selling price for slots to the world’s most challenging endurance event is approximately $40,000.
In 2007, Ironman made grants and donations to deserving charities on Hawaii’s Big Island including: the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, Daughters of Hawaii, Habitat for Humanity and the Special Olympics. Additionally, more than $100,000 in cash and/or supplies went to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, The Hospice of Kona and the Hawaii Fire Department, in conjunction with the Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation.

Should I bid? Is it worth $40K to beat up my body amongst the lava rocks of the Big Island?