ChrisM wrote:
Don't ever come race Oceanside then. You'll have to race by REAL marines with REAL guns riding in REAL tanks. Shit, or Superfrog, Navy fucking SEALS. Forget about it
As others have mentioned, it's a made up WC. Just like Kona, and Clearwater was. I'd be more afraid of racing around a bunch of scary driving blue hairs in Fla than any marines. Who, by the way (the marines) make absolutely kick ass "volunteers"
And no, if it was in the UK and the RAF was a sponsor, I really wouldn't care or notice.
Realistically as I said earlier in the thread, these events are like the US Open of half and full Ironman, with approximately 50 percent invites to international athletes (which by the way is awesome....I love the international flavour). Its just that Americans have a habit of calling big events on their home soil World Championships (world series, superbowl, NBA championships) even though typically only US participants/teams get to play. At least at a WTC World Championships, we have a lot of international content, but realistically these events are more like Flushing Meadows than the Olympic games! Viewed in the context of "US Open of Half Ironman" the Marines sponsorship entirely makes sense. Viewed in a true World Championship context, I am sure that some athlete from China, or Iraq or Afghanistan, or North Korea might feel somewhat uncomfortable.
So for my international friends who might feel it being out of place, just view it as the US Open of half IM, and the cognitive dissonance around having an Armed Force sponsoring the event should subside :-). Makes sense for the Marines to sponsor a US Open. It's in the US, it's their event, and they are hosting us, and the Marines help provide the freedom in the US under which the event happens.