Pros seem to either retire on top (Allen) or slowly disappear into the MOP ranks of the AG'ers. It depends what they want out of triathlon. If it's still fun then why retire. If not, then find a new interest.

Although I didn't have a pro card I was able to race in many pro fields with a phone call to the RD's. I knew it was time to stop when I went 1:53:12 in a non drafting Oly and was 9th overall, 5 min down. Raced the next weekend in one of my sponsors races then didn't run, bike or swim for almost 2 years. Stopped cold turkey, still haven't gotten back into a pool.
I hiked with my wife, dogs and friends, made a whole group of new friends, rock climbed, lifted and actually enjoyed life with out tri's. (and still do)
got started again when some friends asked me to be on their bike team they were starting. Biked race for a year then added running and duathlons back in. The cycling came back within 6 months and I'm as fast now as ever, the running took almost 3 years to get to where I'm at and it is nowhere near as fast.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

He said 'jack it in' uhaha uhaha jack it uhahaha

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Shut up, butt munch.

Slick is cool.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

I think it depends on the person. As Mr. Empfield mentioned in a recent article, a lot of triathletes are "climbers". These folks tend to be goal-oriented yuppies, and they constitute a big demographic in triathlon. For many of these folks they have accomplished their goal when they finish their first sprint race or their first ironman and they are content to walk away from the sport having met their particular goal. These folks include the Team in Training athletes. I think this group is almost singlehandedly responsible for the explosion in triathlon. It will be interesting to see if triathlon can continue to attract this group in the long run.

Another demographic is the really good athlete who doesn't really enjoy the sport. These guys tend to quit when their results start to fade because they just don't like getting beat. Many of these guys are pros but there are plenty of elite amateurs who fall into this category.

And then you have the folks who have been racing and finishing mid-pack for 10 or more years. These are the folks who will probably race until they are in their 60's and are no longer capable. They simply enjoy swimming, biking, and running and will always do it. Racing is secondary to them, but it provides a nice social outlet and/or a challenge that helps them battle the aging process.

What group do you fall into?

"I think it depends on the person."

That was a really good summary. From what I've seen it hit the nail on the head.

We know one couple who did an IM as their first and only triathlon. They trained for a year, hired an online coach, bought tri bikes, etc. Once the IM was finished the bikes were up for sale on ebay. There only purpose was to do an IM. They'll never do another.

I did a sprint this year that Dave Scott did with his kids. He kept pace with the slower one and seamed to have fun. His kids appeared to have fun and a good race also.

Everyone in his age group that beat him had a great time too.