If they want to get participation up next year they should offer 100 slots to Roth. It is one of the few races that still sells out in less than a minute these days and i'm sure the carrot of Roth would drive numbers in Penticton and other Challenge races.

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Coaching and Training Camps

That is a good idea. If Challenge truly wants to support this event and grow there brand they need to do more than show a video of Roth at the athletes dinner. Create some real buzz, get people excited at an opportunity to experience Roth, the same way WTC waves Kona slots in front of us. Otherwise it might as well be an independant event.

This would be an excellent start. If you could get into Roth through Penticton as a bare minimum it would draw a few hundred more.

Good luck to my friends in Penticton (AKA IRONMAN City), you all hold the spirit of the sport so close to your hearts. I hope our paths will cross again soon!

Regardless of this years event 2015 should see some changes. New management. New outlook. A new approach. Run by triathletes, for triathletes. Watch this space.

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

Inmates running the asylum usually works out well.

<Half pink>

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Ha! Too true. My club promoter days would testify to that.

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https://www.pbandjcoaching.com
https://www.thisbigroadtrip.com

Sorry to dredge this thread up a bit, but I trolled through the registration page out of curiosity (planning next year and wondering if I dare think about putting this one in my schedule) and here was my rough calculations:

Individuals
Long course - ~250
Half course - ~390

Teams - I can't figure it out, but total registrations came in at 1132. There's some duplication maybe in there.

Anyone have the data on how Roth fared initially when it went from WTC to Challenge? Clearly its booming now, but was there a fade before it came back up?

Good luck to everyone racing there this weekend!

Looks like you could hand write them "Good Luck" letters in about 15 minutes. Its a shame what that town did to one of the greatest events in north America. I just looked online and you can get rooms on lake shore drive for this weekend. That is unbelievable.

I just watched these 2 videos of Ironman Canada 2012 and one year later Challenge Pentiction 2013.


Ironman Canada (2012 the last year held at Pentiction)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wow_RUPFvWc


Challenge Pentiction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCH5B5_Hy9M

You're right totally unbeleivable. I just got off the phone with 12 hotels in Penticton, the only one I could get is the shoreline.

Slumber lodge has one room left, the casino 2 rooms left at249$ but they don't accept pets (casino no room left on the pet floor)

You may have looked online and seen Aug 31-spt 6th. I counted about 10-12 rooms left on lakeshore at a capacity of over 1000 rooms (guessing)

This myth that hotels are "hurting" or bars and restaurants, doesn't jive for me. Same at Ultramnan 3 weeks ago crazy busy due to the "boonstock" music fest......we almost had to stay at the "bowmont"

I think it is pretty important for people to understand that in spite of the low numbers last year occupancy went UP by 2% in penticton in August, a month in which Hotel type folks make over 30% of their yearly revenue. The economic "myth" or benefit to community needs to be validated with a bit more data, i.e. 10 million???? That is a number which is thrown around a fair bit and strikes me as bat shit crazy, until someone can prove it.

As Rhys and Jonnyo pointed out in other threads, the lack of participants may impact certain local businesses, the hotels aren't hurting though.

Maurice

You couldn't get a room in Penticton before. One year we decided to go up the week of the race and they rented me a bed in the hotel office for $130. The prices are less than what they used to be. I paid 425 a night at the casino booked 1 year prior to the last time I raced the course. Same room today is 249. That is almost a 50% hit. So I would say they are hurting.

I have been going there for 20 years (I only live 2 hours away) raced 8 times and watched 8-10 times.

If you want to pay 425$ at the casino then that is fine, I never payed that much…and believe me I have stayed in probably 30 different hotels in Penticton over the years. (from beer fest and MTB in April to peach classic to IMC and challenge to riding my snowboard at Apex to wine tasting in the fall etc…etc..)

This situation right now (trying to get a room for 3 nights last minute) is similar to every other year I have gone there, if I am racing I book. If not I don't care and know I will find a place some where. In 2011 same thing got a place at the "rochester" last minute. with very big numbers that year IIRC…..It was very tough to get a room under 170$ and as I said I don't think I would stay at the "Bowmont"

Regarding your comment that they are hurting? No the simple answer is no. Data and occupancy levels indicate that this is simply not the case, as some other locals have said I think it has an effect….mostly with Camps in May, June, July… etc. Perhaps But yearly and monthly revenue numbers from last year don't in any way support some sort of "negative" Impact at least surrounding the race week.

Any ways, I love Penticton and think its a great town, and will continue to go there…Maybe more for non IM reasons as I really love it when its cheap for MTB in April and lots of fun late Sept-Oct, for wine tasting or maybe light MTB.

I just have an issue with the often "anecdotal" or "magical" arguments that some put forward that an IM WTC (Challenge as well) event in Penticton pumped in 10 million "extra" into the community……That is simply (and I've said this before) absolutely bat shit crazy…. someone please dhow me the numbers.

Maurice

You are probably right. I don't know what I was thinking. I am sure that 3,000 participants and their families spend the same amount in town as 250. WHAT WAS I THINKING.

I guess it doesn't matter if I am right or wrong, I would hope that the numbers support that argument. Numbers are numbers.

Penticton has a lot of different activities and things going on in late August, Most people don't know that it is one of the best junior "hockey towns" on the planet with power camps etc. The Point is, you are saying that they lost 3000 people, participants etc…. but they gained more than that. Canuck's and NHL prospect tournament etc.

That is the point, triathletes don't really go to bars, party, get drunk at wineries etc. The primary cost in penticton is Hotels, and in that regard the revenue is up as per inflation…..so if you could argue that the average IM athlete doesn't get shit faced on friday and Saturday before the race and parents of hockey camp kids might go out for a few beers….

Doesn't matter really we had one athlete do ultra man 3 weeks ago……and from our small town of Kamloops 2 hours away we brought 30 people…and like I say it was hard to get a room.

For Challenge this year we have one athlete, and because Whistler was 1 month before most of our group is going to support one athlete, so Whistler changes the date to end of July and instead of having 2 camps like we did last year now we have one camp in whistler and one "party" week end in Penticton

…So because of one athlete and WTC decision to change the date of the race all of a sudden we have everyone going to Penticton to relax, have some wine, little swim and run….otherwise have fun. We are bringing honestly at least 15 people to this race because WTC changed the date, to have fun and just enjoy the event…watching our friend…maybe some wine…(did I say that already??)

With July end as the race date there is no way to do 2 camps in whistler, no reason to train there before July 1 (canada day)

Maurice

There are several issues you aren't addressing. Hotel occupancy isn't the only measure of tourism in a town. And taking one month also ignores the training camps and general tourism that flows from a race like IMC.

You are also ignoring the shift in tourism for the entire okanagan region. Those 10million claims came back before the region was a hot spot for wine tourism and other activities. Things have picked up in the valley and the wine industry is much more popular now than 10 years ago. Sounds like the hockey scene is picking up the slack as well.

At one point in time penticton wasn't a hot spot and needed the tourism that 5000 people brought to the region.

I would't disagree, I am just taking exception to the claims made by another poster. IE making the leap that some anecdotal evidence is supported by fact.

"hotel nights are down" Based on last year simply no, based on 2012 and before simply no.

IIRC Hotels in Penticton make (yearly) 26mil$ gross 30% of that is in August alone, they tend to charge what people will pay in that period. (As I said before I have spent a lot of time there in this month and others….maybe it could be described as a bit of "gouging")

I was sort of staying away from this debate out of respect for Jonnyo and Rhys…..(neither of which I know outside of here….Maybe a 2 minute conversation at a race etc)

….and other locals. But when I just spent 2 hours on the phone talking to hotels looking for a room this weekend….and the first post I see on ST is some about all the rooms available in Penticton this week end….well….I guess I just felt this strong need to correct someone ;-)



Maurice

Hey Maurice,

There a few things at play in August. Challenge sells rooms yes and peach fest has moved a week back in the month, Boonstock over the long weekend this year was a win as well (despite what some town council were quoted to say!) and yes, wine tourism is growing. Add mid July 2600 riders for Axel Mercx gran Fondo too. Every weekend from mid June to mid September there is a festival of some description. They are growing their base which in turn sells rooms.

This said, I've talked with downtown biz owners. 2013 vs 2012 saw drop of up to 30% sales in some cases for triathlon weekend especially Main Street where ironman spectators would hang out because lakeshore was so full. Last year lakeshore was full but Main Street was pretty empty. Less people is less sales. However I will submit that maybe Penticton doesn't need it period. Maybe there is enough activity that having a triathlon with expense to city isn't required to bring tourists here. While obviously triathlon is a fabric woven into Pentictons very being, maybe it has run its course. I don't know. Just a topic of debate. Maybe last weekend in August is replaced by "summer bench fest" for wine tourism....just typing thought....that's free to city. It's just marketing spend.

Whatever the case I was again reminded today what we do have here. Today I took a friend on a 4hr odyssey of epic riding in one of the most beautiful regions in Canada finishing with the great grind that is Apex. He was stunned by our roads and climbs! Thoroughly exhausted we crashed heavily then took his family to Misconduct winery for Tapas at The Kitchen watching the sunset. It really doesn't get better.

Vive L'Okanagan!

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@rhyspencer