Oh geez. 55 men, 12 women, and 13 relay teams.

There’s an IM branded race in Rwanda? I know this isn’t the 1990s but that seems like a strange place to hold a race.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Sportswashing

The GMAN wrote:

There’s an IM branded race in Rwanda? I know this isn’t the 1990s but that seems like a strange place to hold a race.

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The World Road Cycling Champs are to be held in Rwanda in 2025 so I guess if it is good enough for the UCI?
There are tons of great cycling videos from Rwanda. It is turning into quite the cycling camp,adventure/bikepacking destination.
Rwanda will host the 2025 Road World Championships | Cycling Weekly
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Just watching that video put a smile on my face. It might be sports washing but I watched the PTO event coverage this weekend, and the number 1 thing that struck me. Not how good the coverage was, not Frodo's win etc. It was how many white people were there. I could not see a single non white person either in the crowd, racing or commenting. How you going to grow the sport and diversify if you don't put on these events? Its a middle class white sport right now - lets get behind these events and not dismiss them. The opportunity this event provided was clearly appreciated.

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He who understands the WHY, will understand the HOW.

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Yeah,I love the wide eyed enthusiasm that these 2nd and 3rd world countries provide in the athletes and spectators. That is why I love racing and bikepacking in SE Asia so much.It is just so much fun.

A couple of years ago there was a huge triathlon diversity and cycling racism debate here on ST. I posted a whole bunch of videos of races all over SE Asia where you can play "spot the white guy" ( IM70.3 Goa and the HTV Cup in Vietnam were classic examples). I also posted videos about triathlon and cycling in Rwanda highlighting what some of the big cycling teams are doing to promote cycling over there. It is a big wide world out there and events like these bring us all a little closer and that is a great thing.

That looks like great roads and great support. A lot better than many places around the US.

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Tiago
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I can't help but think about the horrific genocide that happened in the 1990s. Accounts of people killing former friends and neighbors with machetes due to ethnic background (WTF!!!!). Really chilling how people can be turned against each other with the help of propaganda. It's definitely a strange place for a triathlon. But I keep hearing about cycling and other sports events in Rwanda. No offense to anyone. But no thanks for me personally. I just couldn't go there and not be thinking of the genocide which was really not that long ago. I watched movies about it and read too much of the details. But people do forget easily. Probably not the Tutsi people, but the rest of the world has moved on it seems.

For anyone not familiar with this horror:
Rwanda genocide of 1994 | Summary, Background, Deaths, & Facts | Britannica

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

The highlights from 2022 make the race look like a cultural experience which is super cool. But you'd also have to get to Rwanda...I can go there, but my spouse wouldn't go.

2022 Individual Finishers -107
2022 Relay Teams - 14
2023 Individual Finishers - 67
2023 Relay Teams - 13

So the drop in the race was purely from individual athletes. Consider, it is Rwanda. A country that has been torn apart by war a few times in the last 30 years. And even folks local to the region aren't going en masse there for this race (which looks beautiful).

Or, Ironman like it has in so many places is not a big bad wolf and is attempting to grow the sport in a non-traditional place.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I'm with you. I just can't get those images out of my mind.

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There are countries all over the world where similar atrocities have happened and they have moved on,healed and are thriving,some thank's to opening up their borders to tourism, which in turn provides the money for new infrastructure .We can learn from the past but living in it helps nobody least of all the people of Rwanda who are raising entirely new generations in a very different country to that Rwanda of the early 90's. Hell the Ironman 70.3 Vietnam bike course passes two blocks from a Vietnam War Memorial Museum. Thankfully they have moved on as well.
Cycling in Rwanda is huge and maybe watching this might give some perspective. Maybe not.
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I get it.

But really, 20 years, 40-50 years, 100+ years... is there really a difference?

People race in Roth. People race in locations all along the Trail of Tears in the U.S.

I have a friend - a Tutsi - who escaped Rwanda alive. Most of her family did not. She advocates anyone interested to travel there, visit, learn from the tragedy. But also to learn of the the people there, the culture. The future. She wanted me to go race the 70.3 there!

I have posted this one before..It is worth watching.

I get it and I'm not saying I'm against it. I personally wouldn't want to travel to Rwanda to do a 70.3 as it is still a bit fresh in my mind. And that's just me. I was worlds away and only 24 years old when it happened, but it's one of those events that I just haven't forgotten. The movie didn't help either. I was really affected by it. Neighbors murdering neighbors really haunted me. How could you murder your friend with an axe or machete?? And yes there are similar atrocities all over the world even happening as I type this. Still just because there is genocide all over the world and all throughout history never makes it OK (and I'm not saying you are saying it's OK).

At some point we do move on just like we moved on from Nazi Germany. I would race in Germany in a heartbeat. I spent the winter of 2020 reading non fiction accounts of Nazi Germany. I certainly know the history. Like most people, I've found it to be incredibly horrific. Maybe I am a hypocrite for not having a problem traveling to Germany. Or maybe it's easier when you were born several decades after a terrible event in history. Either way I was only stating my opinions of why I couldn't go to Rwanda. I do wish the best for the people in Rwanda. It's just a bit too soon for me.

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

Probably logistics of getting yourself and war to this race must be a PITA

It’s such a shame that you were so consumed about the color of people’s skin and missed the enjoyment of an exciting race. I feel bad for you.

I thought his post was absurd as well. Accessibility for all within the sport is important, but making it a racial thing is off base imo.

I had a Croatian and a Serbian intern on the same team like 15 years ago. At first, I was a bit worried. Bit they got along really well. If the victims can forget (the sentiments, not the facts) why shouldn't the rest of us do the same?

Agreed, absurd post.

I don't know if I should laugh or cringe at your silly comment. "Please send us some more white people"

What is wrong with you? I wonder what you are going to say if you go to spelling bee or math competitions. facepalm...

The lack of understanding of the danger of this kind of rhetoric is mind blowing.

Yup, bloody hell...

The racial comment is ridiculous on one hand, but I think the point trying to be made is triathlon is not making any ground in attracting a sizable share of the market in the USA at least.

For whatever is worth I noticed a lot of Latinos on course over the weekend, based on the tri kit jerseys I saw.

It's not surprising we don't have many black racers considering only 3% of USA swimmers are black.

Back to Rawanda, I think the country is willing to pay Ironman for the event to generate some international prestige. Not sure what they pay but it's probably a better deal than creating a fancy ad and buying airtime.

Right now we are talking about Rawanda "getting better " and moving on from its past, when before it wouldn't even register in our minds, and there'd be no discussion of it if we saw a 15s spot on cnbc.