Well, now the count is 10 - Toughman Utah (formerly the Utah Half) will be held in Provo on August 22:

http://www.toughmantri.com/event_races.shtml
http://www.racetri.com/the-utah-half/


Has anybody done the Utah Half before?

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

Bumping this thread a bit, the Toughman series is continuing to get stronger with some help from Zoot:

http://www.triathlonbusiness.com/...f7dc2b8531-244491225

Full press release here:

Following on from its 2014 partnership with the team behind the TOUGHMAN half distance triathlons, Zoot Sports will once again sponsor the TOUGHMAN NY race. Building on its backing of TOUGHMAN in New York, the multisport footwear and apparel specialist has now committed to supporting the entire TOUGHMAN Half Iron Series for 2015.
As part of the deal, Zoots’ regular and custom apparel will be on show at all TOUGHMAN events for 2015.
Zoot Sports, a global leader in footwear and apparel for the endurance athlete, recently completed its acquisition of Squadra, a leading designer and manufacturer of custom racing, cycling and triathlon apparel based in Carlsbad, California.
The acquisition of Squadra adds a strong, complementary endurance sports brand to the Zoot business. Since Jarden Corporation acquired Zoot in 2009, it has continued to invest in the growing endurance sports market. Over the years, Zoot notes that it has ‘garnered accolades for its innovation in performance footwear and apparel, providing reference-level solutions for the endurance athlete from head to toe.’
TOUGHMAN NY is the host of the 2015 USAT National Aquabike Championships alongside the TOUGHMAN Half Iron NY Championship. The race will take place on 13 September 2015, at Croton Point Park, Croton on Hudson New York.
As the TOUGHMAN Half Iron NY Championship, the TOUGHMAN NY event is building momentum with recently confirmed sponsorships from Poland Spring and Polar Electronics.
The TOUGHMAN series has expanded in recent years. In addition to its championship event in New York, the series also visits Florida, Indiana, Wisconsin, Tupper Lake, Washington State, Minnesota, Alabama, Utah and New Mexico.
www.toughmantri.com
www.Zootsports.com

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

Well, that gives me pause, given the numerous reports I got re Toughman AZ, which was sold back to TriSports reportedly b/c the race was poorly managed.

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Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

--This information is incorrect. It is not being put on by "the same team" from Toughman AZ last year -- different race director, and no involvement by the persons responsible for any aspect of the Toughman AZ race that led to any complaints.



--No need for pause. Toughman NM will be high-quality and well-managed, and the course is excellent too (I've ridden/run almost all of it). I've done numerous races put on by the RD for Toughman NM, they were all done well in my opinion.

Some more good news on Toughman: There are now 11 races, as the Chattahoochee Challenge in Georgia will become part of the Toughman family in April of 2016. Registration will open for 2016 in late April 2015.

Challenge currently has 9 U.S. races, and HITS has 10, so this makes Toughman the second biggest half triathlon series in the U.S.

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

Is Toughman NM being put on by the Chasing 3 folks?
If so, then I'm sure it'll be a great race and well organized.

I've raced at Cochiti before and while it's a nice spot, I'd hesitate to go as far as "excellent". The roads are decent, but not great, and it's really exposed, oh, and the ride goes past I-25. I realize that's par for the course in NM, but with the bike course near the interstate and a good chance of being roasted alive on the run "excellent" is maybe a superlative too far for me.

Of course, I probably will be racing... I'm even canning the late-season bike races to do it, so I'm not complaining about the race. It's awesome to have a half-iron distance in NM again.

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http://ironvision.blogspot.com ; @drSteve1663

Toughman WA same weekend as Vineman. Bummer.

Toughman medals suck and their events cost as much as Ironman events. I know it seems trivial, but if I'm going to train 6 months or more for an event and pay $250 to spend a day of my life there, then they better have some quality swag to go with the event. I know it sounds petty, but some of us don't have race budgets with multiple $250 registration fees plus travel fees associated with the event. I wanted to do Toughman Indiana this spring, but when I saw the cheap looking medals and saw the price tag, I decided to go all in on my Ironman A Race.

Yes, the Chasing 3 group. And I agree it will likely get hot on the run. Roads should be pretty low traffic from my experiences out there, and "exposed" definitely fits. Really glad both bike and run have some decent elevation changes. I'll be there if work allows, but that seems unlikely right now for me.

Toughman Indiana is currently $195 (and I can get you a 10% discount, if you're interested). The medals that were given out at Toughman Indiana last year were pretty hefty - I swear it weighs about 1/4 pound. I'll have to take a look when I get home, but I'm pretty sure it's the biggest medal in my collection. They also gave out nice long sleeve shirts and some other things. I'm not sure which Toughman events you've done and what makes the medals and swag suck, but I've been happy with what I've received.

Obviously, as a Toughman ambassador, I'm going to defend Toughman. As consumers, we need Toughman, HITS, Challenge, WTC and others to compete with each other for your business. While Ironman might be the Kleenex of the triathlon world, if they were the only game in town, it would not be good.

I think that one of the biggest things we'll continue to see as Toughman grows as a series is an increase in the quality of the events and all the stuff that goes with them. As the triathlon industry continues to evolve, Toughman is helping some of these standalone events to survive in what is becoming an increasingly difficult time for events of this kind. Toughman is made up of a group of RDs and one very passionate triathlete and RD who is looking to make Toughman a very strong challenger to what WTC, Challenge, HITS, etc. offer. These RDs all work hard and now they have a way to work together and learn from one another. The brain trust will work together to improve the series, and each new event adds more people to that brain trust. The RDs have an opportunity to learn from one another's successes and failures.

I've done IM 70.3s, Rev3, and Toughman events, along with plenty of local events, and will do my first Challenge event this summer. I've enjoyed all of them for what they offer, whether it is similar or different than the others. Toughman has a championship near New York City that pays out prize money to age groupers. That's pretty neat, in itself. Give 'em a chance, and if you don't like it, your feedback is helpful - I know there are plenty of Toughman folks listening.

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

What amazing swag are you getting at Ironman? I got a POS backpack for my full, complete with crappy running hat and cheap tshirt. I will agree that WTC keeps their 70.3's competitively priced. What this tells me is that $200 is about the entrant price to put on a 70.3 and still make a profit off each entrant. Can't expect someone to be a RD for free.

What quality swag do you get with the Ironman brand? From what i hear and read you sometimes get a crappy bag and a shirt.
I will pay that amount for a good course, good support on that course and a well organized event. Swag is (should be) so far down on the list of things I look for from a race I can't even see it.

Why are you spending a day there?

Toughman and Rev3 both gave out better quality shirts than WTC last year. (at least at the events I was at)

But then the Westchester Olympic gave out a bike jersey.

Just to be completely fair it is a disappointing medal. I used this race as a test race for IM Chat so it was by no means my A race. For the sake of comparison I placed my daughter's Ironkids medal beside it ($20 race vs $200 race.) I loved the low key atmosphere and proximity to home so I have signed up for it again this year but ToughMan will NEVER be able to compete with IM with stuff like what is pictured.

I didn't mean to be so harsh and appreciate the gesture for the discount. I am glad there are other companies that compete with Ironman. Their events would cost a fortune otherwise. I will keep an open mind in regards to entering a Toughman Race.

You're worried about the medals?

As far as costs, I registered six months early for the BSLT 70.3 to get an additional discount, and it still cost $211 including the active.com fee. I registered a few weeks ago for Toughman NM and it cost $145. You can register for Toughman NM a couple of weeks out from the race and it's still only $160.

No complaints from me about either race. The BSLT 70.3 is a great race. And the folks at Chasing3 do an excellent job with all of their events. I'm looking forward to the bike and run at Cochiti Lake.

Thank goodness we've got people willing to put on events like these for us.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

I just went through and read a lot of pros and cons to Toughman and various other races and here are my thoughts...
It's costs a fortune to put on a race, especially a long distance race! Think about it (on course nutrition, gathering sponsers, making signage, putting it up, taking it down, finding police/medical personal to keep the course safe, and the list goes on and on) but we must also be thankful we have the chance to compete in this sport! My question is what is he break point for a race making money and race fees? Triathlon isn't a poor mans sport (trust me I'm a teacher with 3 kids and my wife and I have to be very selective about what races we do an how many we can afford) and this is at the core problem of the sport.
Triathlon (and any sport really) should be about the love of the sport and the experience. Race directors have an obligation to create the best possible race experience but we as athletes must also respect the amount of work that goes into putting on these events. My hope is that each race I attend is an unique experience for both my family and I. I also hope that through this sport we can show our children that hard work does pay off, the hard work of the athletes but also the hard work of the race directors and all those involved with putting on an event!
I personally signed up for Toughman Wisconsin and hope it can fill my expectations and look forward to comparing this brand to the Ironman brand (especially since the entry fee was far less)!

I can't speak for the other races since I didn't look at them, but I just signed up for toughman Wisconsin for $120 with no coupon codes. They just acquired this one, so it may go up but 1/2 the cost of an IM branded 70.3 was the deciding factor.

Each race will be VERY different based on the location. In or near NYC is very expensive. Each new town you cross into is a new set of police, town permits etc.

As has already been pointed out, the Toughman IN medal last year was better than any medal I got for a full or half IM through WTC, and the L/S shirt is one of the most comfortable ones I own. There wasn't a whole lot of other swag, but I don't do 70.3 races for the swag. As far as the event goes, it was a blast. I thought it was a good course and fairly challenging for Indiana.The distances were accurate, the roads were mostly smooth, rolling hills throughout with a couple of short steep climbs, and the aid stations were good. I really appreciated the freezer pops at the run aid station just before the big hill, I was struggling and needed a boost :) They also provided the best post race food I've ever had! I'm not sure what else you want out of a race unless your looking for huge crowds and a crowded draft-fest course (I'm not), but I would rate my Toughman experience as better than my IM 70.3 Muncie or Rev3 Knoxville 70.3 experiences.

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Powertap / Cycleops / Saris

The number of Toughman races keeps going up!

The TOUGHMAN Half Iron series has added another location making them the 2nd LARGEST Half Iron Series with 11 locations in the US. We are pleased to announce the addition of TOUGHMAN Ga, Chattahoochee Challenge to the TOUGHMAN Half Iron series. Formerly the Chattahoochee Challenge Half, TOUGHMAN Ga, Chattahoochee Challenge will take place in Columbus on 4/23/16. “Having Tri Columbus join our family of races is in line with our philosophy of providing a standardized, great race experience but in keeping with the local grass roots feel.”
This will be a qualifier for the TOUGHMAN Half Iron Series Championship NY that will take place on Sept 11th 2016.
Registration for all races are open at www.TOUGHMANTri.com

About Tri Columbus
Tri Columbus GA is a premier sports firm specializing in event production, management, and corporate sports marketing development. Dedicated to the creation, development and management of participant and endurance sports including those of running, swimming, and cycling, Tri Columbus Ga produces events in the local and surrounding communities.

ABOUT the TOUGHMAN Half Iron Series
The TOUGHMAN Series is currently 11 races in the US with locations in: FL, Columbus Ga, Richmond IN, Tupper Lake NY, Sherwood WI, Ocean Shores WA, Chisago MN, Pell City AL, Provo UT and Santa Fe NM. The series Championship in Croton on Hudson New York has a closed bike course with over $30,000 worth of age group awards as well as a $4500 cash purse!
for more information www.TOUGHMANTri.com

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

And now Toughman NY is about to get a bigger audience with the cancellation of IM Princeton 70.3.

I raced the Croton-on-Hudson "Championship" race last year. The overall event was on-par with Rev3 and IM halfs I have done.

Seeing how swag is important to participants in this thread, I will note that the medal for this race was a very cool depiction of the reservoir damn--pretty cool as far as medals go. The long sleeve t-shirt was good (I wore it on a run this morning). The finisher hat is a throwaway. The backpack was very crappy. All in, I have no problem with that haul.

The venue, and all three legs of the course were great. Only problem was rampant buoy cutting on the swim course. Hopefully, that problem is addressed this year.

Food was decent. I begged successfully for some extra beer.

I also believe a good portiom of the proceeds go to charity. Nice touch.

It is good to have TM as an alternative.

Toughman swag is decent, but the awards are much better than Ironman. Individulal age group prizes have include Timex and Polar Heartrate monitors, Oakley Sunglasses, 70% off discount cards for Zoot, and digital cameras. Last I was third in my age group and the prize was 70% off Zoot, I bought shoes, wetsuits and lots of spandex. I saved far more my race entry fee. So if you're interested in swag train hard and race at Toughman, unless you're in my age group.