Its' funny, I jokingly encouraged a certain local female pro to do the race just for fun and to sort of "screw with" WTC for pulling pro fields in these races and creating this ambiguity over what is or isn't an "ironman champion". She was for some reason more interested in doing races that pay money. Probably even more interested in not creating controversy that might hurt her image for sponsors (she's a class act, more than I am clearly).

She'll fortunately get to race next and will hopefully win it again.

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TrainingBible Coaching
http://www.trainingbible.com

Are you really asking this or are you trying to be obtuse? Call me obtuse, but I think racing a WTC santioned Ironman is certainly different than racing a 'local' race. Are you submitting a podium finish performance bonus for this race?

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

You are right. I would not have been able to run down Clay. I did feel like pulling out was the right thing to do though.

What happened with Rudy is PROOF that WTC needs to fix the policies. Something needs to change if there is no pro field in WTC races.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

The rules my be muddled but I think the intent WTC has with these races has been clear since they were announced.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Colin - That was not a back handed comment to you by any means. I follow your blog regularly and really admire how you speak to the life and family balance with triathlon. You have massive talent and I am rooting for you in Chatt!

I just wanted to add to the perspective. Im just a massive fan of the sport. There are a lot of personalities in triathlon - regardless of which ones we like there are points being made on both sides that need to be addressed, thats all.

Lets not let ego drive the change we all want to see for long course racing....

I guess the difference I see between this and a race like Lake Mills is that WTC has a pro series and you got a license to compete in that series. That's the category you chose for WTC races. Lake Mills is just a local triathlon open to anyone. Even if the rules technically allow you to enter, by not having a pro race IMWI wasn't really open to pros and you knew that.

I'm not saying you broke the rules, obviously you didn't, and I really don't care that you raced. It's not like I was going to win the overall. I just don't think it's fair for a current WTC pro to drop down and race an age group only race. Just like I don't think it would have been fair if Gwen Jorgensen would have raced AG Nationals this year and won her age group.

While I agree about WTC's intent, and maybe I assumed their intent incorrectly, but then why did they let TG race in the first place?

Maybe those that were involved can shed light on why TG was granted entry when they knew exactly who he was.

Yes, the intent is that WTC stops paying out money and giving out KPR points at some races. I'm not sure they thought it through much more than that and this is the result.

If I'm a pro I want to know why my $1000 annual pro membership fee that lets me race in all WTC races for "free" and on short notice no longer gets me "free" and late entry to races without KPR points and prize money. Where does it state this in the annual membership agreements?

I could be wrong, but I think Thomas was not included in any AG awards. So he wasn't even taking anything away from anyone, especially considering how the finish line was handled when the 2nd place AG (3rd overall) came in. They completed their transaction for a spot, and acted like babies when he won.

I think WTC's intent was to consolidate more Pro talent at a select few races, versus having the Pro talent diluted at many races.

I don't necessarily agree that there was an intent to have only amateurs at the events without a Pro race.

If that was indeed the intent, then TG should have been turned away on Friday.

It would be fascinating to me to know more about who "they" is. That is, who made the original call to exclude Thomas and Rudy. RD? Mike Reilly? Messick or someone else off-site?

My totally WAG is that Reilly took the initiative on this, and made the announcement of his own volition. Zero evidence, just a gut feeling.

They probably have no system in place to catch that as they never considered a pro would bother to show up and race.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Love the removing of the posts in this thread, too.


LOL

It's baffling to me that this situation hasn't come up before now. There are a ton of IM branded events, most (I think) without Pro races/prize purses.

There are? I mean this year more then last but a ton?

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

This year is the first year that races, like Wisconsin, that 'had' a pro field and prize purse were run as age group only races. On the order of 20 races in North America that 'had' prize money and official pro fields last year do not have them this year.

In the past, IM Maryland was the only WTC full-distance event without a pro field. IM Muskoka was announced and when it was announced, there was no pro field that was going to be contested. But this is officially the first year that so many of the North American events did not have professional fields or were essentially age grouper only races.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

I count 41 full IM races and 90 70.3 races.

I have no clue how those break down in terms of having Pro purses. My assumption is that most do not, especially amongst all of those 70.3s. I could be incorrect.

You sure do have a lot of pages about yourself to not be a pro.

It's not at all comparable to Gwen racing AG Nationals. You know why? Because AG Nationals IS an Age Group ONLY race. They DO NOT let pros race, period. Which is different than WTC who has races that happen to not have pro purses or a pro wave. Those are not "Age Group ONLY" races. Anyone can show up and compete overall (with the explicitly stated exception that pros can not get age group awards). The AGers that are sad they didn't win the overall need to go faster, not eliminate their competition because they feel they can't beat them. If that's not what WTC intended to happen, they need to change their rules. Now, whether it's classless for a pro to show up and beat down on a bunch of amateurs, sure, that's up for discussion. But should TG have been announced the winner? Per the current rules - definitely.

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http://trainingwheelsrequired.wordpress.com
@KellyNCollier

it absolutely is.....on this forum.....because the pro in question chose to come on here and make a big deal about the situation....more than once.

From the athlete tracker:

Welcome to the 2015 IRONMAN Wisconsin

Please note that the 2015 IRONMAN Wisconsin is an age group only race.

Poor use of words for Ironman to explain that there is no pro race to follow. WTC nullified it being an "Age Group Only" race when they let TG enter.

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http://trainingwheelsrequired.wordpress.com
@KellyNCollier

racing age groupers as a pro WITH home field advantage...just wow

Im kidding haha that is funny though. Who cares about results - you got to race in your home town!

That is correct. There was no Pro race, only an AG race.

It's also separate and distinct from "only age group athletes allowed".

Obviously Pros were allowed. Or, at least one was.

The parallel to smaller races where local pros show up is perfect IMO.

My guess is that WTC didn't want pro entering races without a pro field but they didn't write that into the rules so they can't really stop them from signing up. I think they need to decide and then make it clear in the rules.