So gross 🤢

I say that as a multiple time Ironman finisher and still avid triathlete, but also avid trail runner. The segment of triathlon that MDot represents is NOT compatible with trail running. And to take the crowning event of MUT running and roll it into “the brand” is horrifying.

Story in Trail Runner today.

As someone who is moving toward trail ultras partly because they are not like IM, I wasn't real happy at first glance to see this announcement this morning, but I was a enthusiastic IM customer for a decade starting in the mid '90s and still love to watch the Kona race each year. My A race for this year and the first trail ultra I did is MaXi-Race France that in 2019 attracted 10K participants for a weekend of trail races of various distances and had other events around the globe, so it wasn't a hard-core, local event that first attracted me to doing a trail ultra.

OTOH, I did my first trail marathon in Georgia a couple of weeks ago that had 40 finishers and it was very different than a large triathlon in multiple ways that I enjoyed.

I'll likely stay a MaXi-Race participant down the road when I want a big race and hope that any increased interest the IM brand brings to trail ultras helps the MaXi-Race brand be successful and motivates them to differentiate their brand from IM.

Man, when I saw UTMB, I thought it was University of Texas Medical Branch.

I mean that's probably no a bad acquisition either for them. They could do a sports med center and a cardiac arrest to IM program in 2 years.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I agree this mortifies me. I started in trail running before trying my hand at triathlon and after Lake Placid whenever it eventually goes off I'm done with iron Man. You cannot compare the two scenes to each other and iron Man's move into trail running would completely ruin it...... They are polar opposites and have no business being in bed together....
SAD

Ugh. Disgusting.

Just to add to this where does it stop? God forbid these idiots start buying up things like Western States 100 or run rabbit run or any races along those lines... These idiots are like government they can find a way to ruin the best things!!!!!!


I didn't feel like getting into it earlier but in another thread Dan made the statement he doesn't know of anyone or very few who have been disappointed by iron Man events I find that interesting I would say it's a 50/50 split of most people I talk to.

I'd be interested to hear Dan's perspective on this news.

I believe that the goal of UTMB and Ironman is to build a business model in trail similar to what they have built in triathlon. Has Ironman become successful with this through a process of uniformity and replication? Is it necessary for them, in order to put on so many events, to some extent, create an assembly line model of race directing? Does that remove some of the soul of the original race?

The way I look at it and why I say they're not compatible is just the type of person that each race attracts. In my opinion I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who's done both iron Man and ultra trails to say that the crowd in ultra trail running would want all the commercialization that will be brought with something like iron Man at the helm. Just a vastly different scene. I've been at Ultras where you see dudes pounding beers before the race but then you'll see those same guys at the end of the race changing socks grabbing gels and heading back out in the other direction to help their friends finish.

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I don't know who you hang out with but I know so many people who have done both Ultra-trails/North Face,Western States,Leadville.Badwater and Ironman's and Ultraman's that it wouldn't be worth trying to list them.They are usually a very different personality for sure but they are around in numbers.
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Ironman bought Ultra-Trail Australia three years ago (and own two other Ultra-Trail events)
Ultra-Trail Australia acquired by IRONMAN - endurance.biz
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20 year IM athlete here. sold my tri back this year. got my IMC refund after spending COVID seeking new adventures. Have not swam since summer in the lake. I am not going back. Too much of adventure to find out there.

Lots of time last year adventuring in trails and did a small 3 peaks race in Kelowna and a solo 50K. I just absolutely love it. I see this 'merger' as a real long term ultratrail problem if we follow what's happen the past 10 years in triathlon

1. monopoly on entry to UTMB effective immediately. The local race director getting licensing from UTMB for athletes to get points/stones for the UTMB lottery qualification just ended. This is what WTC did in Triathlon. How did that workout? A: lots of local races don't exist anymore. In fact some race series were bought by WTC to only close the very next year
2. this will not be the end of the acquisition train and more is to follow. Especially considering Ironman Group is again private equity. Margins are actually small in these events so scale is critical for growth to in turn, sell again at profit.
3. ironman athletes may cross pollinate to ultra but it won't happen other way around. Cost of entry huge and ultra trail running takes just as much training time (100K and 100M is a long way after all!). There will be friction in cultures. They are completely different. While I advocate how community driven triathlon is as it has commercialized the inverse of said community I have witnessed. That happens with growth. Big concern that creeps into ultratrail over next 5 years.
4. somewhat sarcastic here but how long until Ironman Group sends cease and desist letters to races or people using the term "ultra". I mean, look at IronCowboy!

I can't wait to this little Kelowna 50K ultra in September. Ironically the race series owner used to take a team to UTMB via her series licensing. Typically every other year. I guess that just stopped. Exhibit A to above point #1.

Last, don't forget they were engaging with Abbott Major Marathons as well wanted to expand the big 6 to 8 and adding China and Thailand.

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@rhyspencer

Anyone know how the MTB community has reacted to IM Group's purchase of Cape Epic in 2017? I think cyclists who do that event may have a similar ethos to ultra trail runners.

as a texan i thought the same thing.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

What this might mean for the future of ultras and trail running is so depressing. Ultra/trail is my background, and I hate to think what the commercialization and monetization will do to the spirit and experience. At least the smaller and local trail races will still be refuges.

Looking at some stats is appears that UTMB had approx 8000 participants across the various distances in their 2019 edition. I could see a large brand like Ironman wanting to be associated with this. But how does that translate to events like Western States with a field limit of 369 and zero chance to grow due to land restrictions? Even with the people who come along with the runners it’s still a relatively small crowd. Do any US events allow more than a few hundred runners? Assuming Ironman plans to get into the US trail running market it will be interesting to see how they try to grow events. A few years ago Leadville increased their field way too much and it was a bad experience for everyone.

Yes. One thing I really like about trail races is they are each very different and the vibe is reflective of the team directing the event. For me they’d be much less fun if they were run under a single brand’s playbook and felt the same but in a different location.

Exactly what you and others on here have said is spot on.

Oh well.

Seems like a different breed.

I enjoy non MDot races better.

I dont like the brashness of it.

A lot more people are on the trails and looking for new ' extreme ' experiences. IRONMAN is seeing the trend and going with it.

I'll do trail races until they get too slick.

only good of this is to attract more stacked field to races (pros).

alternatives are -

golden trail series

Sky runner series

xterra trail

I've been running ultras this year and like others said, the events are the farthest thing from ironman races.

the good news is that there seem to be way more small ultras you can choose to run as am alternative.

Haha same!

I like the Skyrunner series. Was contemplating the one they were going to do in Southern Alberta and also the one in Italy.

That looks like a lot of synergy with Ironman under the Rock N Roll Marathon brand when you consider a Run Rock n' Roll Weekend has 20k participants across the four distances offered.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.