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Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000
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Forgive me if this has been brought up-

Seems like a great opportunity to create a special event. I believe the purse is larger than Kona and seeing that the race takes place on the raceway, this can be easily broadcasted. Also, the ability to race and then watch the pro field is intriguing. This could be interesting and could help the sport. At least in the USA.

USAT Level II- Ironman U Certified Coach
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Once-a-miler] [ In reply to ]
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They really hyped this as a BIG announcement

Personally couldn’t care less

The race last year was great
Last edited by: MrTri123: Apr 28, 20 21:43
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Once-a-miler] [ In reply to ]
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The only thing I am thinking: just another World Championship on the list....

The “funny” thing here is that the PTO athletes are forced to race the PTO WC regarding their contract.

Looks more and more like a competitor to IM than an athletes organisation.

Morten Falk Størling
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Once-a-miler] [ In reply to ]
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I've watched the Pros the last two years. It seemed they really enjoyed the event by playing in the water, (Starky did the butterfly to the first buoy and held onto Lucy Charles legs for a bit as well). Then they hammered the bike and the run seemed to be the race. You can stand along the lake sideways to watch the swim and T1 is just a simple 180° turn to watch them mount the bike. It seemed like a relaxing great way to end the year for the Pros. I think money has a way of building but also ruining some things though. The race distance is also shorter than a 70.3 for the Pros. That's a lot of money for a modified Olympic/Half Triathlon. Maybe because events were cancelled this year, Challenge/PTO has to burn off some cash to prevent paying taxes? Regardless, we are excited and booking our hotel. I'll be racing the 70.3 and watching the Pros.
IMFL 70.3 rescheduled for the weekend before Challenge Daytona so a lot of people were automatically transferred to that date. Not sure how that will affect athletes racing Challenge Daytona.

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [timr] [ In reply to ]
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What is the middle distance protocol with regards to distances?
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [MortenFalk] [ In reply to ]
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Im interested what Canadian and European racers will do because given 🇺🇸 and especially Florida management of COVID i would suspect 14 day mandatory quarantine upon arriving back home...ie: through Christmas.

Basically the race may just be an event for 🇺🇸 PROS or expats living in Tuscon and Cali!

@rhyspencer
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [timr] [ In reply to ]
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timr wrote:
I've watched the Pros the last two years. It seemed they really enjoyed the event by playing in the water, (Starky did the butterfly to the first buoy and held onto Lucy Charles legs for a bit as well). Then they hammered the bike and the run seemed to be the race. You can stand along the lake sideways to watch the swim and T1 is just a simple 180° turn to watch them mount the bike. It seemed like a relaxing great way to end the year for the Pros. I think money has a way of building but also ruining some things though. The race distance is also shorter than a 70.3 for the Pros. That's a lot of money for a modified Olympic/Half Triathlon. Maybe because events were cancelled this year, Challenge/PTO has to burn off some cash to prevent paying taxes? Regardless, we are excited and booking our hotel. I'll be racing the 70.3 and watching the Pros.
IMFL 70.3 rescheduled for the weekend before Challenge Daytona so a lot of people were automatically transferred to that date. Not sure how that will affect athletes racing Challenge Daytona.

The distances for the pros this year, if they happen, are not the same as last year
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [MortenFalk] [ In reply to ]
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MortenFalk wrote:
The only thing I am thinking: just another World Championship on the list....

The “funny” thing here is that the PTO athletes are forced to race the PTO WC regarding their contract.

Looks more and more like a competitor to IM than an athletes organisation.

If you look at 75% of my posts, I point out that the PTO is not an athlete's association. It is an event promoter. And considering how in bed Challenge is with the them, how hard is challenge going to bank on having Pros? Is the PTO going to negotiate a CBA with Challenge? Probably not since the Chair of Challenge is on the "business" board of the PTO.

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [TheStroBro] [ In reply to ]
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They have yet to articulate any realistic, sustainable business model.

- The idea that they could hold a race for the Pros and pull in millions of broadcast revenue is a pipe dream (just look at Hyvee, Island House, ITU WC, etc.).

- They aren't asking the Pros to pay in anything.

- The money they got from private equity to act as leverage in a WTC transaction was a one-time deal (esp. now that WTC has been sold).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Their concept that the PTO is analogous to ATP just doesn't work.

- Major tennis tourneys are pro-only events. Just like NFL or MLB, it's literally all about the pros. Triathlons are participant events, more analogous to marathons.

- Tennis makes its $$$$ mostly from TV (broadcast rights, and sponsors willing to pay big bucks due to the broadcast/media reach). Triathlon makes its money off AG participants (and the sponsors trying to reach them).

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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All of this, plus the focus on long distance triathlon means it's never going to get any viewership. Does anybody seriously think the PTO is going to succeed?
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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imswimmer328 wrote:
All of this, plus the focus on long distance triathlon means it's never going to get any viewership. Does anybody seriously think the PTO is going to succeed?

Well as an cou terargument do you think the top 20 pros in the world would all have sig ed up if they think g that is a flash in the pan.
I have no idea if pto will succeed but I think what they are doing right now is good for the sport as it shakes things up.
If we imagine 70.3 worls would happen this year it would be only an age group world's as all the big names are going g to tace in daytona
what pto seems to try is to try to race the profile of pros which is needed ( if it works is to be seen )

If they really had enough money to buy ironman I would think to invest their money this way could be cheaper.
The biggest issue I see only Roth could be the full world champ and Felix has always said this was not going to happen but I dare to say this killed challenges expansion as they won't get a full race off the ground unless they had slots for Roth and back then wirh out the investor the races that worked ironman bought the race .
If that was changed ie Roth the challenge world champs I could see it work
so I guess it's 4 things
how much money and for how lo g does the investor have and do they find a way to make is sustainable ( difficult but in some countries it can work )
can they keep the pros on board and promote them so the can promote the races
Can they convince Roth to become a quali event or make it a 2 day event
what is ironman going to do. Are they going to sit it out or lime in frankfurt where they have to pay good appearance fees to get the top pros go that route . I think it's probably the first time in a while ironman loos a bit vulnerable ( I think most people agree it was not a good value deal for the new buyer and the timing g could not have een rose to buy a company with so much debt just before most of the season was wiped out.
I think at the end of the day regardless if you like ironman or not competiton is good
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [pk] [ In reply to ]
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Of course they would have. They literally just gave the top 20 athletes a bunch of free money. How is it shaking things up? The collins cup has been theorized for YEARS and still not happened. I saw the PTO contract, they're doing nothing to raise the profile of pros, they're raising the profile of themselves.

No way they had the money to buy ironman. No way they have 1/100th the money needed to buy ironman. At the end of the day, their investor is going to realize theres no return in a couple years and bail. Sorry if i'm being overly negative, but its been pretty clear that there's a very limited viewership market for long course triathlon, and the PTO has yet to actually do anything with sustenance
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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I don't think they can or will continue to dump the money like they have been. I don't think that is their long term business plan. I think this is more of a "Go Big or Go Home" introduction. Create a bunch of fireworks and hope the fire stays lit. They don't come off as a bunch of dummies so I'm sure they have a plan and I'm positive they don't need us knowing what the details are

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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imswimmer328 wrote:
Of course they would have. They literally just gave the top 20 athletes a bunch of free money. How is it shaking things up? The collins cup has been theorized for YEARS and still not happened. I saw the PTO contract, they're doing nothing to raise the profile of pros, they're raising the profile of themselves.

No way they had the money to buy ironman. No way they have 1/100th the money needed to buy ironman. At the end of the day, their investor is going to realize theres no return in a couple years and bail. Sorry if i'm being overly negative, but its been pretty clear that there's a very limited viewership market for long course triathlon, and the PTO has yet to actually do anything with sustenance

There is a podcast called the real triathlon podcast and the first one. is about pto
Worth a listen . And of course it could all go tits up soon , but this is not the organisation from the first few years this year they have stepped up at least 2 levels and I think most people would agree .... that covid is not the pots fault as the race was on this year.

I would agree with the contract not great but at the end the fact is now it's not a pronorganisation it's now more a investor pro and at the moment challenge joint venture
iam sure one can punch ,any holes into it but I think there will be 170 or pros that will be kind happy pto exists this year.
Me thinks the whole thing could work if challenge ge Roth would be the world champ and they could built qualifyer races around mit . But Felix always said no to this and I would suggest that was a part why the challenge ge expansion did not work
challenge could have worked in Europe they had besides Roth great races with barcelona Copenhagen and 1 year Victoria

Besides what is ironman going g to do now they are effectively hosting the amateur world champs in Taupo this year ( if it was to happen )
in germay when Roth went indy they started to pay good appearance fees for frankfurt so that was positive for pros . So ironman could do the same for the world's or just see it out if they think like you it won't last long.
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Once-a-miler] [ In reply to ]
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Well...


It's a *go*...


Thoughts?

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [cloy] [ In reply to ]
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Florida. COVID-19. FUCK THAT.
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [NordicSkier] [ In reply to ]
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I'm so tempted. I know I shouldn't... but damn.

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [cloy] [ In reply to ]
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Imagine NOT attending this race and still thinking you can call yourself a triathlete
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [cloy] [ In reply to ]
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I skipped early season races and even several recent races but if they race, I'll race. I'm registered.

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [NordicSkier] [ In reply to ]
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NordicSkier wrote:
Florida. COVID-19. FUCK THAT.

+1
Every place that tries to be too aggressive in opening up learns the hard way. (ex. https://www.usatoday.com/...-classes/3383874001/)


I wonder how this would even work for the international athletes. The US is still on travel restriction lists, and by the time of the race the most easing would probably be a mandatory 14-day quarantine when you fly back.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [cloy] [ In reply to ]
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Was there some announcement somewhere
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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I disagree about not raising the profile of the pros. I think they are definitely doing more than Ironman to promote pros. Lots of good content on IG for example.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [cloy] [ In reply to ]
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cloy wrote:
I'm so tempted. I know I shouldn't... but damn.

What is so tempting? It’s 3.5 months away. How can any race organization say “it’s on” with any confidence at this point??

blog
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [jaelinfunk] [ In reply to ]
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jaelinfunk wrote:
Was there some announcement somewhere

Yes, Challenge CEO issued a statement it’s on.

Let food be thy medicine...
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Re: Challenge Daytona and PTO $1,000,000 [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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Titanflexr wrote:
NordicSkier wrote:
Florida. COVID-19. FUCK THAT.

+1
Every place that tries to be too aggressive in opening up learns the hard way. (ex. https://www.usatoday.com/...-classes/3383874001/)


I wonder how this would even work for the international athletes. The US is still on travel restriction lists, and by the time of the race the most easing would probably be a mandatory 14-day quarantine when you fly back.

I don’t know what the work arounds are, but plenty of pro athletes in other sports have been able to do it.
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