As of now, no they will not be rotating.

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Professional Triathlete
Owner of Blake Becker Multisport Coaching LLC / Team BBMC
blakebeck@gmail.com
http://www.teambbmc.com

As of now, the intention is not to rotate them. There will be races that will be designed to have a pro race and those that won't. Some of it will simply be logistics - courses that are easier to marshal, places where more daylight makes it easier to spread out the starts, etc - and some will be "popularity" - places that have traditionally attracted a strong pro field. But for now, the goal is to have it be fixed which races are pro and which are not.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Those reasons make sense as to why they might keep the same few races, "pro races".....but don't you think WTC and triathlon in general would gain more exposure if they alternated? Bringing the pros to town would be more of a big deal for the local Tri community and media.....advertising dollars could go up, bringing more money to WTC (and hopefully the pros) and us mortals would have opportunities to race with the pros without having to fly across the country?

I predict that they use the pro field as a test in the future with struggling (and or new) races. WTC is in this to turn a profit. In the past we have seen WTC increase the number of Kona/70.3 WC slots to increase attendance. They have also cut prices on a few races to increase attendance. To think they would not rotate in a pro purse if they felt it would increase attendance is naïve.

This pro purse is now another arrow in the quiver for WTC. They can take their low attendance races and test the market with one of at least three variables now. Price. WC Slots. Pro Field. It will be interesting over time which one of those variables leads to the largest increase in revenue/attendance.

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Austin Hardy -

Personally, I'd like to see it rotate so that some races that I might not be able to do now I could do in the future. The idea, for example, that I could never do Tahoe as a pro is a bummer. I was very close to doing it this year, and it's hard to know I might never get a chance (as a pro) to do it.

I don't think the idea has been ruled out. Just not in the cards right now.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Is there a link to the list of pro & non-pro events?

on the promember site. 2015 races.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

IMLP not on the list, that is kind of surprising.

I may have missed some races, but it looks like there are only four pro Ironman races in North America (Texas, CDA, Canada, and Chattanooga) before the World Championship. Is that correct? If so, that seems like a small number.

Why? It's been a D-list pro race for years.

A lot of people view IM races through AG colored glasses. Incredibly popular AG IM races are often D-list pro races. IMFL, IMLP, IMWI all generally have a no-name pro field.

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

Man, where have y'all been?

North America lost 7 IM pro fields and 11 70.3 pro fields next year. Sorry, it's been beat to death a lot. Dan wrote up an op-ed on the front page. He doesn't call out all the races, but some.

IMLP
IM Wisco
IM LOU
IMTahoe
IMFl
IM Los Cabos
IM Boulder
IM Muskoka (new race, will not have prize money)
IM Maryland (acquired this race, will not have prize money)

Here's a recent pro blog.

http://themikehermanson.com/keep-our-pros/

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Once again, you are correct:

James Cunnama. Never heard of him.

Ben Hoffman. Nope don't know him either.

Joe Gambles. He's a nobody.

Andy Potts. Sucks.

Maik Twelsiek. A little more obscure, but yeah I see your point.

TO, Rinny, VanVlerken, PJ, The actual Real Starky.

ETA: #Sarcasm

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Andy Potts is the former Olympic swimmer and he's actually quite fast. I've heard name Rinny, but I believe that's his nickname?

Sorry, my entire post is sarcasm. Everyone that I listed is far from a D-lister pro.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Yeah, but TJ is gonna be pissed that you forgot him! (IMLP 2011) ;)

Whoops, I misread that. Sorry. I'm quite sure they're all fast people and as a non-pro I'm not going to judge the difference between an A-List and D-List pro (maybe you shouldn't either), but really I'm fairly knowledgeable about the sport and know some of the top names and I don't recognize any names on that list really, except Andy Potts and Starky (because of his world record bike split in Florida) now that I re-read the list. I guess I just don't see why we should be paying these guys?

You do realize that Rinny is a 2x IM World Champ and 1x IM70.3 World Champ?

Perhaps you know less about the pros than you think you do.

No, I didn't realize that. Is that Christie Wellington? Yes, I've heard of her, I just didn't know her nickname. I know Starky because the nickname relates to his name. But, I agree, my knowledge of the various pros, their names, races, results, etc. is probably much closer to the other 97% of triathletes than it is to the 3%'ers on Slowtwitch who feel strongly that pros should be in races.

I put my hat firmly in the camp that think its just wrong to not have a decent prize purse at all big races - WTC or otherwise. When the stakes get high enough, the best athletes in the world will be compelled or motivated to chase the prize. WTC is doing so many things right and are growing the sport, but they are not putting enough back in to develop the next generation of ironman heros that we can all look up to. I wonder if Simon Whitfield was paid by WTC to hang around and take pictures with the racers at Mt Tremblant recently. If he was - I would find it ironic because they would be essentially exploiting a former world class pro on one hand and taking away the ability for future champions to earn big paycheques with the other.

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Michael Hay - helped on the journey by the great folks at ZiZU Optics, (for the custom fit), and Bialkowlski's TRYSPORT

And this is the reason why WTC will see no change in race participation in the races with no pros. He is right, 97% of the non-slowtwitchers don't give a damn. IMFL will still continue to sell out with or without a new world record bike split or Rinny run/walking the marathon.

Since we're full-on sarcastic dick mode you should probably read "generally" again. Nice job cherry picking names though.

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

It was a softball lob to predictable replies.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

I was expecting that exact reply. That's why I had the cherry picking retort at the ready. :-)

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

Last year IMFL had over 30 male pros, three of whom went sub-eight hours. The race also had over 25 female pros, including the reigning world champion.

B-listers all.