Align with Challenge, age group winners get free entry into Roth, 2nd and 3rd get 66% off.

I got a laugh out of this -

Planning on moving there myself shortly, but have visited many times as well:

for starters i would call it something like "iron distance" instead of "ultra triathlon" distance..... just hearing the name with ultra I assumed it's one of those double ironman crazy distance races (as opposed to normal ironman distance which is not insane haha)

also not having it right in the middle of Kona, IMFL, Miami 70.3, Rev3 FL time frame would probably help! since FL is nice all year you have a 5 month winter window with very little competition, can't see why you do it mid-Oct

get Disney to sponsor it and help out!

Their FB advertisements always say something to the extent of "harder then an ironman" or something like that... Normal people think 140.6 is hard enough, I don't feel there's a reason to advertise how extra difficult there race is. They need to stop thinking like hardcore triathletes and look to the bulk of the market which is first timers.

Make the goal of a 140.6 as painless as possible both physically and financially. Just my .02 cents.

I was going to the the TGF, until I kept reading how hard and lonely the course is.

As a person that has done IMFL (which is hard enough)- "easier" with more people sounds fun to me. I don't mind spending double the price for that.

DANG - you beat me to it.



Also, you spelled Floridiot wrong.



Sorry, hope all goes well with your race. Advertising and volunteers.

Couple more,
1. offer 50% off to the club that WTC wanted $3000 from for putting chalk on the road.
2. Flatten the course as much as possible, move to end of September, make it Nice distance 4k/120k/30k and sell it as a leadup to Florida, also try to get it to be long course worlds qualifier.

I wish Fred the best of luck, never done the race but have wanted to for a long time, one of my athletes did it last year and really liked it.




Ultra is the official nomenclature of the iron distance, and calling it iron distance would probably get a cease and desist letter from WTC. Even if they don't have a case, it would cost money to defend yourself against it.

You are correct though, iron distance would mean more to people.

Your comment about the time of year, the floridian predates all of those race except for Kona. IM FL was put in Florida in the fall in order to kill the great floridian, it has pretty much worked. But maybe it would get more traction as a spring race.

BAM. Best distance ever. Raced it twice now. Way more fun than iron, but still plenty long...

I can't offer much advice since I've kinda departed from the tri scene (HH in B'ham). I came down, if I recall correctly, three years in a row about ten years ago doing full, half, full. I loved it. Great message board at the time, and loyal fans. But the numbers were declining even then so I'm not surprised by your news, especially seeing how many more "official" Ironman(R) races there are now.

Please convey to Fred thanks from this grateful customer.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Move it to the end of May.

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

x2 to all of this.

Also, having the race in October competes head to head with Beach to Battleship. Move the date.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Sugarloaf one year for the GFT..



GFT Legend TimAquatic finishes one year..

I participated last year and it was my first Iron/Ultra distance. I think a couple people hit the nail on the head. When I was training for it, I was consistently told that Fred had made it more and more difficult over the years. My friends cheered me on, but thought I was crazy for doing that as a first. The reputation for being hard is what I think keeps people from it. I no longer live in Haines City, but my club of 75 people had no other people race in the GFT, the reason being that it was just too hard for a first IM (which would attract locals) and a PR killer for MOP athletes. I'm glad it did it, but it probably wasn't the best choice for a first ironman. Never recovered after that first climb of Sugarloaf Mountain. I heard rumors it might wrap up, at 25 maybe 30 years. Too late to train now if this is the last, but I want to be there again. But I'm a glutton for punishment.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Now that is just crazy. The course is all open with no shade except on the run. It was 95 degree heat index in October last year. Florida 70.3 which was at the end of May in 2013 and literally 30 miles south of the GFT was 100 degrees heat index and had one of the highest drop rates for heat exhaustion. If anything, the race could be moved to early December, where it is still very possible to swim in a wetsuit (I OWS all winter in a wetsuit), and there is little competition nationwide in December. But, the season is officially over at that point (after IM FL).

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Interesting discussion. It would be a shame if this race doesn't make it to 2015 or beyond, but the competition is fierce and independents better offer some real value along with something unique if they are going to compete with WTC.

I've done the aquabike at the GFT twice in preparation for a fall IM and am already entered to do the same this year 2 weeks before I race IMFL. I get the whole swim and bike, and I typically run 5-6 miles of the marathon before pulling the plug. So I know the feel and vibe of the race. And by the time you are on the third loop of the bike, it feels like you are on a solo training ride.

I think the ideas above to link up with Challenge or converting to the triple-O and vying to be the ITU Long Course World Championship would be great. Could you imagine the attraction to the GFT if you could line spectators up 6 deep on each side as you went up SugarLoaf on the 1st loop aka Roth...or even 1 deep? The problem is no one cares. When you go to an IM, everyone in town knows what is going on, but when you go to Clermont...the home of triathlon...the city (apart from the few hotels) has no idea that there is a race. At least that's how it feels to me.

For 2015, I think you should focus on the history. It's the 25th right? That should be a huge deal. Have you talked with Vineman to see if they were able to leverage that angle at their 25th this year? Shirts should be extra special. Participation is historic. Bling-bling 25th annual anniversary medal...and post what it looks like well before the race. And to celebrate the anniversary, offer a big discount to past finishers to come back and celebrate. The more times they finished in the past, the bigger their discount should be.

I support the GFT with a large entry fee for the aquabike but it is run as a complete afterthought to the full even though the event is helping cover costs. You finish the bike leg and go into T2 ... and what? The answer is nothing. You just take your bike right out of T2 and go home. No finish line or thought given to that event, and nobody knows what's going on anyway. Last year, I just went straight to my car, packed the bike, hit my cooler for some drinks, then hit the trail for my 5 mile run.

And get an IT professional to make some sense of all the websites that Fred has out there. He has info on the sommersports website, then websites for individual races, and another website for chiptimes. It's nuts. They need one professional website that has all that info without flipping you other websites. As a layman, his IT presentation appears unprofessional which could lead some people to incorrectly believe that his races are the same.

Start on an island in the gulf. Swim to the mainland. Bike east all the way to the atlantic. Run 26 miles into coco beach. Pick up an overnight bag at the finish and walk to your hotel.

Looped courses are boring. Let people go somewhere! If I've just swam/biked/run for the better part of a day, I sure as hell don't want to end up where I started.

PS: I hate Florida, but even I'd consider something like this in December/January.

Vineman actually did a really good job in celebrating their 25th. They had a special reception (with wine) to celebrate the highlights from the last 25 years. They had displays with mementos and even had a recreation of the finish line and announcer's stand from 25 years ago. They also gave out conmemorative wine glasses engraved with the 25th anniversary logo. They had a really cool participant's shirt's with a big old #25 in front and the finisher's shirt was even nicer, also with a "25 Years" in front. The race medal was also super nice.

They are very good at using social media to drum up the event and the community support in Windsor and Guerneville is very strong. Everyone knows Vinaman is on that weekend. They had about 800 registered and about 600 starters. They also had a ton of people on the Aquabike and a ton of women on the women-only HIM Barb's Race. In all there were about 1,500 people racing that Saturday. I think Vineman benifts from the fact that a couple of weeks before the Full they hold the Ironman-branded 70.3, which always sells out. I think this gives a lot of visibility to the Full event. Quite frankly, execution is also a big part of it. Vineman is a well-oiled machine and an incredible value for athletes.

I agree that the best shot for the Great Floridian is to either affiliate with someone like Challenge and/or find major sponsors that will help update the brand "package". Meaning the marketing in social media, price points and promotions, and good old print and online ad marketing. I think changing the distance would be a mistake. The 140.6 distance is a sticking point with many triathletes. You should also really push the Aqua Velo as a great prep to IMFL. You can probably count the full-distance AquaVelos in the US on one hand. So this is a unique ofering that may be appealing to those already commited to IMFL. However, without some funding help and investment the future is bleak for GF.

It really is too bad that the sport's media, including ST, does not give ANY attention to the independents. There is so much outside of IM, but unfortunately this is quickly changing and I don't think it's good for the long-term viability of the sport.

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http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com

Hey KG , Lew here
I have been here since 1995 , raced the GFT 96,97, 98,00,01,02 and coming from Miami it was tough at first with the hills.
But when i raced here and living here for some time, i felt a advantage on the course.

I took time away from racing ,not training, to raise my daughters, but that itch is coming back , kinda sad to see the GFT head south .
Looking at the race now is so much different than back in 1996 when i first raced it and because of that changes have to be made to save it and grow it .

I see it as a mom and pop race where 500 is that good number to shoot for.
And make it 1st timer florida guy or gal friendly there race to do .
They don't need to be scared away by the course .

Hawaii dropped there tough hill on there run called the PIT, so any race can change its course .

Mdot those who run from it is because of its price .
Back in 1980 when Dave Scott raced in Oahu when he did his 1st Ironman , his parents drove behind him about 400 yards back.
in a small race like the GFT it could help make it 1st time friendly , where families drive behind there athletes , giving then aid and support and safety .
And give the families instruction to fall back , keep flashers on and give aid every 10 miles to there athlete , this is a family race , so include the family .

Make sure to have downtown finish, same metal , same finisher shirt , creating a history .
That is my 50cents worth Lew

Did the GFT 3 times. Don't think the bike is all that hard but to attract more participants take out the hills and bill it as a new easier bike course. Also It's always very hot & humid in Mid October.
If it was moved to mid November to mid December I would consider doing it again.

I did the race in 2009. Man, it was hot that year. I'd hate to see this race go away, but I'm not surprised. It was a fairly small turnout.

I agree with a lot of the suggestions. I think using the word ultra and calling it tougher than iron is a mistake. Extremely tough races are a tough sell, especially if they're in Florida. It doesn't have to be an easy race, but don't make it sound harder than an Ironman.

I like the idea of the Nice distance. Or just making it a really good half iron. I also like the idea of it being a spring race. I live in WI, so a good early season race in Florida followed by some time on the beach would be awesome...and an easy sell to my girlfriend.

I love looped courses and my girlfriend does too from a spectating viewpoint. If the roads are in good condition, definitely advertise that. I'll travel for good roads...and sunshine, especially in March.

Making it a warm up race for IMFL would probably work well. There's a really popular half iron here in WI, the Door County Triathlon. It's about 2 months before IMWI and Door County is a bit of a vacation spot so people do it was a warm up race and then vacation for a few days.

Just go with the Nice distance. Call it the TinMan. Give it good pricing, a cool logo, a fun course and design some cool finisher's medals. People love cool finisher's medals.

Can you still order hamburgers at that one aid station? I remember something about being able to order a burger and they'll have it ready for you on the next loop.

Being good at social media is huge these days. I did a half marathon a couple of years ago in KY called Run the Bluegrass. The race director is all over social media. If you tweet about the race, he replies. If you ask a question on FB, you get a quick reply. He's out there all year talking about the race, and it helps that he's kind of funny. It made the whole race experience a little more fun because he would joke around with you, and since he's always out there you never forget about the race. I'll probably do the race again someday even though it's a long drive for me, partly because of him. Also because they had some really cool age group awards and I missed one by a few spots. Little KY Bourbon barrels. They were cool.

This made me laugh as one year at GFT husband raced and Bottom Feeder (anyone remember him from old Slowtwitch days?) chalked his name up Cherry Hill. Race pamphlets said "DQ to anyone associated with chalk on the road!" Luckily, they didn't follow through (I laid into Bottom Feeder for doing that) and the chalk lasted for a very long time on that road afterwards.

But suggestions? It's tough; making it late or really early in the year when it's actually nice down in Central Florida will get all sorts of complaints from the Northern crowd about training. I don't think the Key West 1/2 and full have good numbers in January. May can be brutal, although early May may still work. I'd hate for it to go away but you can't put a race on like that without the numbers. Partnering with another race organization may not be what Fred is looking for, but might be best bet.

Someone talked about the website needing some updating, I think that's definitely a necessity. Most people get there info online these days, so a clear and easy to navigate site with some nice appeal could go a long way. With that said, the race last year did do pretty well bringing in people from other places, but failed on the local level with only 2 FL residents in the top 10, and 7 in the top 25. So that's something that us local athletes might be able to help with through word of mouth, encouraging other locals to participate, and coming out to volunteer or cheer during the race. I can't make it this year, but I was hoping to come out in 2015 and help out, then join the party at KG's! It looked like everyone was having a great time at the aid stations (especially KG's), this race in 2013 was my first full so it was special for me, and I'll be bummed if I don't get to experience this race from the sidelines as well.

Kevin,

After competing in three Ironman races and the GFT, I have to say Ironman was a better experience. There are a few things that come to mind when I think about why though:

1. Support, support, support! Ironman has such a strong relationship with the cities they go to, and the shear number of spectators and volunteers on the course is really unbeatable. For athletes this means no having to worry if the next aid station is running out of cold drinks (most the time, except IMKY 2008), or coming up to a table with no volunteers late in the evening. It also provides so much motivation for the athletes to hear those annoying cow bells and to see the dressed up super heros, or the sounds at the finish line from a large crowd. Not to mention, there is one thing first timers have been training for all year, and that's to hear that they are an Ironman at the finish line, which can occur no where else.

2. Pre-race and post race activities are also a major plus for Ironman events. If you are a first time Ironman, it is pretty impressive to seat with 3,000 athletes and their families at the banquet. The food isn't usually very great, but the entertainment is typically very motivating. Simple things like having the pro's talk, having an inspiration story or two, and the marketing involved with race videos to get you pumped up and excited.

3. Marketing is huge for Ironman. They reach hundreds of thousands of athletes through email with updates almost once a week about upcoming races and results. One of the real keys is that they have cornered the market on iron distance races, and by that I really mean they have a long history of more than just one city, one race. We are talking about 30 some iron distances races across the world, with over a million finishers. It's hard to explain to first timers that they should do a local iron distance race, when they have heard from all their triathlete friends about Ironman races.

Overall, I think Fred has done a great job with his races over the years. Here are the things I would like to see improved at GFT:

1. I think in order to get the numbers up at GFT he must get the community more involved in volunteering and spectating. With more hype, comes more athletes. Make this a BIG event in Lake County and in all of FL. Market to the big cities, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, etc. Get tri clubs across the south east involved by any means necessary.

2. Once you get the crowds, GFT has to focus on better serving the athletes on the course so they come back and truly enjoy their time. There can not be empty aid stations on the run course at night, they can't run out of ice and liquids ever at any station. Put more into the finish line, make it grand and exciting. Make athletes feel special like GFT is the best race experience they have ever had. Marketing has been the key success for Ironman in my opinion.

3. Consider course changes. I don't think that the hills scare people away, but I do think that three loops on the bike and run will. I would suggest taking the bike course out further north where there is a break from the hills and you could remove the loops possibly (go out on 561 to Astatula and Tavaras). On the run, maybe go past the current turn around at old 50 and instead have them go all the way down the trail to the NTC and back. That would not only remove the loops probably, but also allow for involvement at the NTC and hospital which would be great.

There are definitely some things that can be attempted because I think you have a great course in Clermont. Good luck, and I hope to race GFT in the future again soon!

#tbt..

Molina Still A Contender In Triathlons
GREAT FLORIDIAN TRIATHLON - TODAY, CLERMONT
Scott Molina, 42, Was One Of The First Great Triathletes, And He Will Compete Today.
October 19, 2002|By Joe Williams, Sentinel Staff Writer
CLERMONT -- Race Director Fred Sommer laughs as he says the triathletes of today probably don't know who is Scott Molina.

Just as today's baseball players are believed to be negligent of the history or the tradition in their sport, a lot of today's triathletes may not know Molina as one of the pioneers in their sport. As one of the three Scotts, Molina, along with Scott Tinley and Dave Scott, was one of the first big names to come out of the sport in the 1980s.

Molina, 42, who was a pro triathlete from 1982-1995 and won the 1988 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, will compete Saturday in the 12th annual Great Floridian Triathlon, an iron-distance event (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle, 26.2-mile run) that gets under way at 7:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park.

"He's still racing seriously and still does times in the low nine hours," Sommer said. "He could very well be up there [among the finishers]."

Approximately 800 triathletes are expected to compete in the race and another 600 competitors will compete in a half-iron-distance (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bicycle, 13.1-mile run) race, scheduled to start at 8:45 a.m. Longwood's Jeff Cuddeback is among the local favorites in that race.

Molina, who is originally from California but moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1994, has a total of 104 professional victories to his credit.

Among the favorites is Peter Kotland, a native of the Czech Republic who ran cross country at Wofford College and now lives in Spartanburg, S.C., and Konrad von Allmen of Switzerland.

Kotland won the 1997 Ultraman World Championship, which included a 6.2-mile swim, a 261-mile bicycle and a 54-mile run. More recently, he won the Vineman Ironman Triathlon in Santa Rosa, Calif., in August and was fifth in Ironman Wisconsin on Sept. 5. Among von Allman's best finishes was a fifth in Ironman Utah and a seventh in Ironman Wisconsin.

They will be going after the race record of 8 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds set by Renato Danta de Lucas of Brazil in 2000.

But it is Molina who is adding some excitement even before the horn sounds.

"He is definitely a legend in the sport," Sommer said. "If he sets a course record, wins the race or even wins his age group, Scott Molina will add some instant credibility to this race."

Lot's of great ideas here so I'll just "vote"

Align with Challenge, age group winners get free entry into Roth, 2nd and 3rd get 66% off.
Makes sense

also not having it right in the middle of Kona, IMFL, Miami 70.3, Rev3 FL time frame would probably help! since FL is nice all year you have a 5 month winter window with very little competition, can't see why you do it mid-Oct
Maybe do it really early in the year... like march... where you don't have much competition from other races.

get Disney to sponsor it and help out!
I've got a lot of ideas for a course involving Disney :) If GFT partnered with Challenge and got attendance up, I could see this as a possibility.