IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?"

Apr 27, 15 5:34

Post #1 of 27 (6105 views)

There has been lots of discussion on this forum about the value of a pro race. This weekend I headed over to Galveston, and I tried to observe the values of the pros with an open mind. Below is a brief synopsis.

Personally, I knew there was a pro race. I knew this because I was seeking out a race with the requisite prize purse to qualify myself as elite (I failed, btw). The web site NEVER listed the pro field, facebook and twitter were mum on the pros too. During check in and bike check there was no mention of who the athletes were, what they were racing for, or any of that!! I was actively seeking a pro field list, and could not find it! I even posted on twitter, with no results.

On race morning I asked five athletes in transition the following two questions. 1) Is there a pro race today 2) Any idea who is racing? All five people I talked to knew there was a pro race, but not a single one had any clue who was racing. I believe the ONLY reason they even knew there was a pro race is because the swim start sheet had them listed as the first wave.

If I am a race director, and have already made the decision to sink $50K into a prize purse, I am damn well going to make SURE that I get some value out of that. I would proudly post lists of starters, have links to their bios. And just like the big marathons or track meets, I would introduce the favorites out at swim start, and build it up. I would take the advertising line of "The best athletes in the world choose our events (and therefore you should too)". Why does Ironman pay the money for a prize purse, and not utilize these athletes to make the entire event more "meaningful"?

I was very disappointed in the way that IM 70.3 Texas handled their pro race. After being there, I feel that there was ZERO value in even having a pro race. It is baffling to me why WTC spends their own hard earned money to put up a pro purse, but doesn't leverage the pros, or even let the AG athlete know who the pros are, and how incredible their athletic feats are.

Thoughts?

Austin Hardy -

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 5:46

Post #2 of 27 (6063 views)

I would say that to some degree this observation applies to most of the events that WTC hosts. They can certainly do better at most events. There could be a Q&A session/panel with the pros and public/age groupers the day before (but most pros would be too busy tapering and hiding in their hotel rooms to actually "waste energy" on this type of promotion/public speaking opportunity). Not having done Challenge nor the former Rev3 events, from what I read they do a better job.

Dev

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 6:14

Post #3 of 27 (5978 views)

FWIW:

There was a pro panel listed on the schedule.

The pro list for all of the races can be found at www.ironmanpromembership.com

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Peanut] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 6:26

Post #4 of 27 (5953 views)

I think your post helps validate the OP. Anyone not already familiar with the nuances of navigating a WTC website would not find the pro start list efficiently. Then, why isn't this information readily available through the IM 70.3 Texas website? Why aren't the pros hyped on the main page before the race? Even after you find the pro start list, there's no guarantee that those pros will actually be there for the race. Is there a pro meet and greet? When/ where?

Part of the OP's point is that no one is doing their due diligence to get the peoples excited or informed about the pro race. Not the WTC. The the RD. Not the pros themselves. It's a shame on multiple levels.

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Peanut] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 6:40

Post #5 of 27 (5898 views)

Peanut wrote:

FWIW:

There was a pro panel listed on the schedule.

The pro list for all of the races can be found at www.ironmanpromembership.com

LOL.. I am a big fan, and it still took me five clicks, and three "backs" to find this list.. That is beyond difficult for the average AG'er that probably doesn't care in the first place.

Austin Hardy -

Last edited by: Aust1227: Apr 27, 15 6:42

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Tri-Banter] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 6:44

Post #6 of 27 (5879 views)

+1

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 7:52

Post #7 of 27 (5741 views)

I think the most telling observation for me was that Sanders and Potts raced to the finish line and there was probably less than 100 people there to see it. It was a fantastic race and finish and it was like 99.9% of the crowd had no clue.

The vast majority of the crowd is there to support friends and family, many of them marking a one-and-done off the bucket list, and that's the extent of it. Outside of actual participants the sport has no professional fan base.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [wcb] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 8:32

Post #8 of 27 (5661 views)

The awards ceremony was pretty sad. Out in the open, in a grass field, by the water ... i was pouring sweat due to humidity . Maybe ~75 people max and all were the for awards and slots.

That being said i was rooting for Lionel Sanders, seems like a humble guy, got to meet him after race and was really nice. I hope he rocks Kona.

2016:
IMFL #12
http://www.bestbikesplit.com

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 9:21

Post #9 of 27 (5581 views)

The pro race at WTC events just continues to be less and less relevant. I would love to see more attention to it in the future, because WTC does put on some pretty good races. I was inspired by the pros when I got into this sport, and continue to be.

Filling out the Challenge pro question form yesterday, it seems like they are really trying to make the pro race a feature of their events. WTC and Challenge have two seemingly different views on what the pro means to triathlon.

I think we are just at a crossroads of what pros bring to the sport. Having Challenge take the Rev 3 events over was probably a good move for the Pro field.

The market will continue to decide the worth of pros.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [colinlaughery] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 9:29

Post #10 of 27 (5557 views)

colinlaughery wrote:

The pro race at WTC events just continues to be less and less relevant. I would love to see more attention to it in the future, because WTC does put on some pretty good races. I was inspired by the pros when I got into this sport, and continue to be.

Filling out the Challenge pro question form yesterday, it seems like they are really trying to make the pro race a feature of their events. WTC and Challenge have two seemingly different views on what the pro means to triathlon.

I think we are just at a crossroads of what pros bring to the sport. Having Challenge take the Rev 3 events over was probably a good move for the Pro field.

The market will continue to decide the worth of pros.

There was no other WTC pro race this weekend, so they could have put out a press release promoting the pro event at Galveston. Contrast that with what the ITU was doing around ITU Cape Town.. WTC marketing can easily put out a press release every week talking about which races are on, what the pro line up is, and what the age group field size is, the course features and 'register for next year'. Just roll it into one release on a weekly basis to get people excited about this weekend and go tot the trough for next year's sign ups....win win.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 9:39

Post #11 of 27 (5511 views)

devashish_paul wrote:

There was no other WTC pro race this weekend, so they could have put out a press release promoting the pro event at Galveston. Contrast that with what the ITU was doing around ITU Cape Town.. WTC marketing can easily put out a press release every week talking about which races are on, what the pro line up is, and what the age group field size is, the course features and 'register for next year'. Just roll it into one release on a weekly basis to get people excited about this weekend and go tot the trough for next year's sign ups....win win.

Spot on....why does this not happen? Is it really not worth the money in WTC's opinion or are they just that bad at marketing? Do they think that marketing is unnecessary because their brand recognition is already so strong? What you suggested is really simple, and likely cheap enough, to execute so what's the hold up?

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [badgertri] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:03

Post #12 of 27 (5472 views)

badgertri wrote:

Do they think that marketing is unnecessary because their brand recognition is already so strong?

I'm willing to bet they know that no one signs up for a race based on pros, and thus don't need to market pros to get races to fill up to desired levels. They probably view the pro prize purses as a cost of doing business to generate some photos of competitive looking athletes for the website and to get pros to events and eventually Kona where they use the race as the foundation for the Kona broadcast. This is a very pessimistic view of it, but honestly the way the pro race is "just there" at most IM events highlights how little IM is willing to do for the pros.

I read an article or blog the other day (my it was a ST post by Rapp), but Ironman and pro athletes are competitors on some level. Ironman is looking for companies to pay to be sponsors of events just like a pro athletes are looking for sponsors to support their career. Why would Ironman do anything to help bolster the status of the competitor? Ironman has proven they really don't do anything unless it benefits them in some way, just like any successful corporation should. They don't need the pros. The pros need them. I feel as if the pro race is just a calculated marketing cost for them where they get enough out of the athletes to meet their needs without helping to increase the visibility and marketability of the individual athletes as a whole.

Last edited by: zachboring: Apr 27, 15 10:08

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:07

Post #13 of 27 (5455 views)

Really, having a vibrant professional community is a marketing tool, either to get people to watch or to participate. It would seem that, given how difficult it is to find out who's even racing, or who is who among the pros, at best, the pros in our sport are used to market to a committed customer base among the hardcore fans and athletes. I really doubt that, with the exception of Lance a few years back, very few people ever picked up triathlon because they saw professional X at a race.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:19

Post #14 of 27 (5419 views)

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm "Joe Age Grouper". Here are a few things you should know about me:

I already know how amazing the pros are. For example, I'm a 42-year-old 20-minute 5K guy. Not even close to worldclass but also far faster than embarassing. I could have waited at the 25.2 mile mark of Boston this year, raced the women's winner from there, and I would have lost. That's amazing to me. I have also spent an uncomfortable amount of time watching Sanders' workout videos on his website in complete amazement. I don't need a RD to point out pro's to me at an IM. While you don't know it, I already have my own "relationship" with the pros.
If I am participating in the race, there is nothing I care less about than your race, whether you are a pro or not. I'm thinking about my needs bags, my gels, my HR zones. If you think for one second I care about the guy who will be done the race before I'm on the run, you are mistaken. This isn't the Yankees game where I am going to this event to cheer/support the players and watch. This is my race. Prepared for by my training. Paid for with my dollars. Announce the pros and I'll applaud politely, but you are not going to "leverage" anything with me by making a bigger deal out of the pros.
I choose my races based on proximity to my house and how they fit into my schedule. You can tell me who else is racing and that won't make me do it or not do it. See Item 1 above: They are already way out of my league and I am not under the misconception I am somehow better for racing on the same course at the same time. See Item 2 above: They will be finished before I'm on the run. We could not be less disconnected at this "race".
I am just as impressed by the 42-year-old AGer who beats my by an hour as I am by the pro who beats me by five hours. Why? Like me, this guy is my age, has kids to raise, is working a 60-hour-a-week job, and somehow got himself into an "hour" better shape than me. In many ways I can't, and don't even want to try to, relate to the pros.

If the above doesn't help, think of it this way. I tried Challenge AC last year with strep and an chest infection. I missed the swim cutoff by 2 minutes and was pulled from the course. There were many pros there. Three months later I completed IMMD. There were no pros there. Which set of race gear do you think I wear? Which race do you think I reminisce about during my long rides and runs? Do you think I tell friends I screwed the pooch at Challenge AC but at least Rinny was there? Or do you think I talk in agonizing detail about every pedal stroke at IMMD?

Which one do you think is more "meaningful" to me?

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:35

Post #15 of 27 (5379 views)

Vigo used to do a great job of this with Eagleman. He had a pro-panel that had Desiree Ficker, Michellie Jones, Terenzo Bozzone, Chris Legh & Kate Major just to name a few. He used to hold it at the expo while people were picking up their race numbers. Essentially, Eagleman leveraged the pros to keep people at the expo; bringing extra value to the vendors as well as allowing age-groupers to get some tips from the pros.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:45

Post #16 of 27 (5329 views)

I would introduce the favorites out at swim start, and build it up.

Part of my job as a Race Announcer at the races I work at is to feature, the elite/pros in whatever the race is - a triathlon, running or cycling event. I go out of my way to be as informed as I can about who they are, before, and get information fed to me, or find it myself, during the race, and then keep people listening over the PA system informed of what's going on in the race.

I try to make it informative, engaging and entertaining. That's what in part the elite/pro race should be at events like this - entertaining.

There is nothing I enjoy more than a close, sprint finish to the line! I throw as much energy and enthusiasm into that as I can.

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Last edited by: Fleck: Apr 27, 15 10:56

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:49

Post #17 of 27 (5308 views)

That has been my experience at every race with the exception of

Hy-Vee 5150 Championships
ITU World Championships

Rev3 did a slightly better job but not much. Locally the MultiSport Canada series does a decent job as it has a few local pros (Sanders, Beals) who do a lot of their races.

Edit and MSC has Fleck announcing ;)

Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

Last edited by: rbuike: Apr 27, 15 10:57

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [wcb] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 10:59

Post #18 of 27 (5269 views)

I think the most telling observation for me was that Sanders and Potts raced to the finish line and there was probably less than 100 people there to see it. It was a fantastic race and finish and it was like 99.9% of the crowd had no clue. //

Where did you get this idea that professional triathlon was a live spectator sport? It never has been, and likely never will be, except for an occasional major event. The value in the pro race and the fans that follow it, are online now. In the old days it was the newspaper, or later on, the mags that followed the sport. Tens of thousands followed this race already, and just on this site. I'm sure the race will garner some more media in print later on, and perhaps some video coverage. That is just the state of our sport, nothing has changed. It is not set up for people to get out of bed at 6 am and go find a place to watch people come by for a split second. Cycling has done this, but only due to its long history in europe and elsewhere.

So the fact that no one was at the finish line is just business as usual. I throughly enjoyed the race online, and felt it was a good enough pro field to warrant my business..

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [DJRed] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 11:05

Post #19 of 27 (5249 views)

If there were a Q and A with several top pro's during the afternoon or evening before the race, would you go??? I've been to several races with these and talked to prob 6 or 7 pro's individually 1 on 1 afterwards, which was quite cool IMO.

"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [Aust1227] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 11:09

Post #20 of 27 (5228 views)

Google: Ironman Pro Start List (I actually was curious as to who was racing so I looked myself last week)

First hit:

http://www.ironman.com/...pro-start-lists.aspx

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [CgyTriGuy] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 11:47

Post #21 of 27 (5164 views)

CgyTriGuy wrote:

Google: Ironman Pro Start List (I actually was curious as to who was racing so I looked myself last week)

First hit:

http://www.ironman.com/...pro-start-lists.aspx

The problem is that these lists are never accurate & as such, useless. Case in point, the link you provided had >60 pros listed for TX & around 45 participated.

Brian Shea
http://www.PersonalBestNutrition.com
Open-Water/Masters Swimming at the Jersey Shore:
Monmouth County NJ Ocean Swim/Masters Workouts

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [wcb] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 12:06

Post #22 of 27 (5119 views)

I think the most telling observation for me was that Sanders and Potts raced to the finish line and there was probably less than 100 people there to see it. It was a fantastic race and finish and it was like 99.9% of the crowd had no clue.

Wow. There was perhaps 500 - 600, maybe more at the finish line area of the annual Paris To Ancaster Bike Race that I worked at yesterday! :)

But I get what you are saying. Outside of Ironman Hawaii, of the Ironman & 70.3 races that I have been at, the crowds that are there at the finish for the Pro race relatively speaking are "small". They swell to their maximum during the the middle of the time when most of the Age-Groupers finish!

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [monty] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 12:25

Post #23 of 27 (5063 views)

Quote:

Where did you get this idea that professional triathlon was a live spectator sport?

Quote:

So the fact that no one was at the finish line is just business as usual.

It was just eye opening to see it first hand. When my buddy was finishing around 2 PM you had to stand three deep to try to get a view down the home stretch / finisher chute. Yet a few hours earlier while the majority of the age groupers were still out on the bike and thousands of spectators had absolutely nothing to do I stood with a handful of others and watched Sanders come in for the win. Seems like such a missed opportunity.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [wcb] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 12:46

Post #24 of 27 (5019 views)

It was just eye opening to see it first hand. When my buddy was finishing around 2 PM you had to stand three deep to try to get a view down the home stretch / finisher chute. Yet a few hours earlier while the majority of the age groupers were still out on the bike and thousands of spectators had absolutely nothing to do I stood with a handful of others and watched Sanders come in for the win. Seems like such a missed opportunity. //

Well there is your answer. Like i said, the pro race is not a spectator race, all the people there(majority)are there to see family and friends. So there are out there watching for their loved ones when the pro are finishing, and when the masses begin to finish, they meander over to the finish line where it starts to get crowded(relatively speaking of course)

But like i said, tens of thousands have watched that pro race since then, but not hardly a soul has perused the AG results since the finish. Just how this sport works, same as many others, especially olympic sports that only curry favor every 4 years.

Re: IM 70.3 Texas. "is there a pro race?" [monty] [ In reply to ]

Apr 27, 15 12:50

Post #25 of 27 (4996 views)

Syracuse 70.3 in 2013 I think you could have counted on two hands how many people were at the finish line when the winner crossed.

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