zoom wrote:
I wouldn't necessarily agree that participation in Ironman races among folks living in the Americas are down. The number of athletes racing in North American Ironmans may be down, but that doesn't mean that there are fewer people living in the Americas doing Ironman races.
With the addition of races outside of the Americas, people who typically do races in the Americas are going overseas for their races. I am one such athlete. Over the past 6 years, I've done 2 races in North America and 4 overseas. The five years prior to that, all 5 of my Ironmans were done in North America.
Europeans who, in the past, would come to the U.S to do Ironman races are now staying home in the continent to do Ironman races since there are now more options available to them.
hadukla wrote:
Sorry but there is no way that the mass start is responsible for this not selling out as fast... The numbers for WTC are simple and transparent, thanks to the Obsessed Ironman:
https://www.obstri.com/?stats=1 In the Americas, participation in IM (specifically IM, not 70.3) i
s down since its peak in 2015. And this includes stats from South America where participation has been growing since 2015 so it is likely skewing the fact that NA is declining even more.
Just as there at <10% of participants caring about KQ, there are likely equally as few wanting a mass start swim.
Don't even need to touch the CdA piece since that got shot down by HuffnPuff.
As for this, I am not sure why it matters who is actually participating in IMs, when the US contributes 80% of the participants at IMAZ (also easily found stats using the google machine), you're saying what, that US people want swims with mass starts? FYI- here are the US contributions to participation at IMAZ for the last 6 years
2018 - 80%
2017 - 82%
2016 - 86%
2015 - 88%
2014 - 85%
2013 - 88%
Not sure why I bothered to look this up as it is completely irrelevant to the discussion... but there it is. More foreign participation in IMAZ over the last two years than before but not that drastic of a difference to even really come to a conclusion.
Here are some facts for a conclusion...
Fact: WTC IM participation (doesn't matter by who) is down in the Americas.
Fact: WTC 70.3 Participation in the Americas is still growing even up to this year
Fact: No WTC 70.3s in the Americas have a mass start
808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo