Most championships are just put out there by whomever get that designation. Build it and they will come. A few have grown organically like Boston or Kona, but usually some governing body sells the rights to put on the race to someone, and they sport has bought into those designations.

Now often they will have more pros(money) slots, swag, and almost always tougher competition. But they don't have too, take long distance worlds for example. Probably dozens of non championship races with deeper fields, more money, and tougher competition. But you do get to wear the world champ stripes after winning it, so there is that..

IM regional championships have more WC slots for both AGers (usually 75 vs 40) and pros. For the pros, there is a little more money and they typically are both M and F races.

If you are in one of the big AGs like M40-45, there could be 8 vs 4 slots, but knowing that, more competitive athletes show up, so it tends to be a wash

There’s not a big prestige factor, and the rest of the experience is boilerplate

Which North American Championships are you talking about?

Ironman?
USAT?

Something else?

>> Ironman

The various Ironman Regional Championships have deeper money pools and more qualifying slots for KONA for both the pros and the amateur athlete age group categories. That's pretty much all there is too it. It's an attempt to create a deeper pro field at a race from what I can tell.

There isn't a qualifying process for a pro or age grouper to get to a regional championship. To make Regional Championships matter as far as a path to Kona you'd have to realign the calendar quite a bit.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

As far as I know the company "Ironman" designates which of their races is the championships.

it is what ever city is offering ironbrand the most money for the "privilege"

Do we know what city that is for 2021?

Coeur d Alene, ID in 2021

Ironman is planning on rotating the NA championship through 3 cities. Each city will host the 140.6 championship race one year and then host a ‘regular’ 70.3 the following 2 years. St George was the first city announced (scheduled to have it in 2020 and 2023). The third city has not yet been named

https://303triathlon.com/...three-city-rotation/

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Matt

It means nothing really except bragging rights. "I'm the North American Champion".

That was what I thought when I transferred form St George to Coeur d' Alene. But I noticed on the Coeur d' Alene web page that they were showing the standard 40 slots. I messaged Ironman for clarification and this was their response.


Aloha Jason,

Thank you again for your patience - I hope your evening is going well.

At this time there is not a designated American Championship. An announcement with additional information will be made as soon as it becomes available.

Mahalo,
Emily


EMILY ALVENDIA
Athlete Services Coordinator
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IRONMAN® Hawaii
73-4080 Hulikoa Drive
Suite 101-2
Kailua-Kona, HI. 96740

I understand that the race in Kona calls itself "Ironman World Championship," but Boston doesn't call its race "Marathon World Championship"

It's certainly prestigious to win there [or NYC] but it doesn't earn your a World Title any more that a win at Daytona alone earns you a NASCAR Championship

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin