X1000

I consider myself an average triathlete and this matters ZERO to me or anyone I know.

LP also opened for registration and sold out about a week before IM made the announcement of no pro field next year.

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Instagram | Team Kiwami North America

One of the coolest things about Ironman triathlon, and it differentiates this sport from others, is that I can race as a normal person off the street with professional athletes. It also brings more buzz to the race. It's cool racing on the same course, on the same day as uber-talented pros. For me, someone in M30-34 moving into M35-39, and somewhat competitive, removing the pro field from a race removes value for me. I can go out on my own and do 140.6, but it's the whole Ironman ecosphere (which pros add a TON to) which makes me race Ironman over any other event. It's a shame certain races will not have a pro field. Some people couldn't care less, but I enjoy having that aspect to the events I participate in.

I did IMFL this year, and a lot of people signed back up because of the cancelled swim. IMAZ is in the area (west cost) where a lot of triathletes can travel to, and it's the only option for a TON of people. Being in the South East, I can get to IMFL, IMCHOO, IMLOU very easily. If you're in Southern California, IMAZ is pretty much your only option. I think this speaks more to the current situation than a pro field being present or absent.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the pro race at all. I am just a roadie and don't really care but several friends/family members have voiced their opinions on why Arizona is the top choice:

- Easy and a PR course
- Race less likely to be cancelled
- Timing at very end of season allows for a full summer of riding/training
- cooler temps
- super easy swim
- more central location for people our west or midwest

Remember that most of the people there are your midlife crisis individuals or are non competitive, the actual competitive individuals is a very small percent and that is the only percent that might care about the pro field.

IMFL has been around since 1999. How many times has the swim been cancelled? How many times has the race been outright cancelled? I don't know the answer to those two questions, but I'm guessing once and never. In sixteen years, with those kind of numbers, people can't really think it's going to happen often.

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Instagram | Team Kiwami North America

You're giving humans too much credit for being totally rational. The fact that the swim was just cancelled weighs on most peoples minds a great deal more than the fact that it never had been before. On top of that, they have actually been incredibly lucky weather wise to not have been cancelled due to a hurricane at least once over all those years.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

I think the simpler explanation is there have been no races added out West... worse I think IMLT didn't draw off as many folks for 2015. The South & East region added IMChoo, plus IM Maryland and Challenge AC. IMWI sold out slower, as you now have IMLou, Muskoka all at the same time of year.

On top of that, I'm not so sure that growth hasn't slower or stopped in NA for IM's. Or in other words the numbers of folks (baby boomers) leaving the sport is not being offset by as many younger folks taking up the sport.

Having fewer pro races has a larger, less direct impact on the sport.

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TrainingBible Coaching
http://www.trainingbible.com

You are comparing one that had slots available for a few hours and not to one that is still available??

ST logic sometimes. :facepalm:

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Rick, "Retired" hobbyist athlete
Trying to come back slowly from acute A-Fib

I am a member of pretty large regional tri club. I know a lot of people that race 70.3s and full distance events. I have been involved in lots of discussions/planning for race schedules for several years. Never do I ever recall anyone's decisions being influenced by the pro field or lack of a pro field. I think it has zero impact on races.

Why does the pro field add so much value to you, when you can't see them anyway? Yes you know they're there but besides taking a glimpse of them in T1 you're not gonna see them again during the race. Unless you're really slow and you get your medal from the winner at midnight and not realize that was the winner instead of a volunteer...

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Don't forget to attack!

I, for one, did AZ this year (my 9th IM, 2nd AZ) and other than a brief glimpse of Jordan in one of the booths at the Expo, I never even saw another pro the entire time I was in Tempe. Granted, I didn't go to any of the pro panel things or the Tribe event, and I finished hours after them.

It has zero bearing on which race I do personally.

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My business-eBodyboarding.com

^ This. Trying to say that IMFL sold out just a hair later than IMAZ due to the lack of pro's next year is grasping at straws. When IMFL 14 sold out the preceding Nov, Louisville was still in August, Los Cabos was still in March, and Maryland did not even exist. Now all three are in the same time frame and two are in the same region. Meanwhile, IMAZ still has no nearby competition.

It's cool that the pro's are in the same race but their influence on registrations in North America approximates zero. The princes from Bahrain received 10 times the press as the pro's at IMFL 2013.

I, too, think it's largely geographical. Phoenix is an easy trip from both Southern California and from Colorado, two huge triathlon communities.

It's my personal feeling, that which race has Pros and which does not matters little.

In terms of the vast majority of AG'ers there are a number of other factors that go into the decision making.

The big wins for IMAZ - Proximity to large triathlon markets in the SW and California and the spectator friendly course.

Loses for IMFL may be the unpredictable weather the last few years and that it's hard to get to if you are flying in. When I talk about the weather for IMFL it's that my sense is expectations are that, hey, it's Florida, it's supposed to be perfect - but that's not the way it's worked out.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I am just reporting what people have said in conversations about their race choices, that is all. On numerous occasions people have viewed Arizona as a safer race over Florida in conversations i have witnessed.