[quote stevendex
Why are all the sprint triathlons over 100 bucks??![/quote]


You should become an RD, put on a sprint tri and report back on your entry fees

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

For my summer here in Australia there is a sprint triathlon within 20 miles of my house 3 out of 4 weekends.

3 half Ironmans

5 Olympics.

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Are u in West oz? Is it just me or even sprints are getting silly expensive

Agreed, and it's not just the race fees but equipment, apparel- everything!

I think many are racing less, particularly when it costs so much for the big events. I also think the $10,000 race bike trend has actually hurt the sport because it makes many feel like they cannot compete with an entry-level bike, wetsuit, etc. so they are opting out of racing.

In the mid-atlantic as others have mentioned there are plenty of race opportunities in the summer, but I do miss the days of the bare-bones sprints. I would love to see one in VA or NC- no shirt, no prizes, just race your friends and have a beer at the end! Or even better- how about a race where we all race on the same old-school equipment, Little 500-style? I for one would travel a good distance for that.

Some of this is unique to Middle TN. In the past decade, only a few bike shops have survived. Nearly 10 have shut down in various parts of the city. The same with races. There are several races that have gone away and the bigger ones don't draw near the crowd.

I do think IM Lou, IM Chat & Chat 70.3 killed a lot of the local scene. It doesn't explain it all but that crowd was a big chunk of the local market. I also think cost is a factor, as mentioned above. Lastly, with the exception of a few pockets of town, I don't find middle TN very supportive of local business.

Are other local races doing OK or is it a general decline in triathlon overall?

Local sprint tri participation around Houston has been dropping by about 20% each year since heyday back in 2012/2013 or so.

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

Trispoke, I think you're right that the IM races within easy driving range of Middle Tennessee have hurt the local races. It surprises me but, among the local athletes, there are quite a few IM and 70.3 racers who just aren't interested in shorter distances anymore -- even as a workout.

Here in Virginia Kinetic Multisports has 13 races all have a sprints most have Olympic, two 70.3s and one Gran Fondo. Four of the races are within the 757 area code so I am happy.

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

Joe at Above the Fold has added races this past year, including sprints. And I know quite a few people here that were doing tris when I moved here in 2012 but now are not.

As for bike racing, there are only a few race directors. Thankfully Michael and Jess took over the weekly crit series, but lost the stadium parking lot as a venue and have to deal with the fairgrounds for the track. When Tim Hall moved to NC, that was a loss to the local racing scene. And a couple of venues have been lost due to the pain of getting permits and/or the RDs being burned out. Plus, as someone who moved from NorCal to Middle TN, I've lost my love of bike racing. It's not so fun when you're a female and there is just one race for women - all Cats and all ages, and no velodrome.

That said, I hear through the grapevine that there is going to be at least one new gravel race in 2019. Looking forward to that.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I dunno, Raleigh has lost it's 1/2 IM. It didn't hold the Falls Lake Road Race or the NC State road race out by Jordan Lake this year. Only the Chapel Hill RR.

They also lost the "Tour de Cure" diabetes fondo from Cary to Pinehurst the year before.

I'm seeing more folks in the "club" and go-ride go-run and have a beer after kind of scene. Enough commitment and fitness to be doing something, but not enough to do a tri or a bike race.

I think in the bike race gig the barrier to entry at even the lowest level is too high a commitment for many people. I'm a Cat5 schmuck, but I can drop the entire A/A+ group on the hammer ride. That's good for mid-pack in a 3/4/5 race.

I know for sure, didn't know the guy at the time, but one of our group-ride guys got dropped at the race I did.

In a way, formalized club membership and events in the UK mirror what I wish we had here. But in the US we are so non-committal these days that doesn't work well. Nobody is in Rotary, Lions, Masons, etc.......as much any longer.

Over there the clubs run their own routine TT's and events. Hill climbs, oh hill climbs. Just time some guys up a a few minute climb once a week or month for fun.

I feel like the US is so consumerism based also that everyone expects a participation medal, swag, and a big group hug of participates around them.

Hence, why fund raiser walks and 5k's and 1/2 marathons are so popular. Break 3 1/2 hours for a 1/2 marathon and get a medal, tee shirt, and a beer. Enter a sprint tri and get a free gel, get your ass kicked, and go home empty handed. Enter a bike race and get nothing, get dropped on the 2nd hill/roller, ride back to the car in shame alone.

When you look at it that way with today's culture of "look at me" on Twitter/IG/FB, you can see why people don't "race" as much.

Bookend that with rising competitive barriers to entry in athletics among those who DO participate, and you've got a recipe for fewer people entering.

Over the past few years the Austin scene has been dying off as well. I think 3 or 4 races have been canned since 2014 with another one dropping the Olympic distance option and 70.3 moved to Waco. Probably also doesn't help that CapTex had weather issues 3 years in a row in '14, '15, and '16. Reaffirming what everyone else has said, it seems like everyone either just wants to do an IM/70.3 or they spend so much goddamn money on those races that there isn't a budget left for local stuff.

Dan, didn't you post an article here a few years ago about IM/WTC having a large hand in the killing off the local race scene in most cities or something like that?

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Robert Dao
ATC Racing - Austin, TX
Gold's Gym Triathlon Coach
@speedao1
@daotraining

Dan can you expand on your comments ?

Yeah, but the list used to be more that that. Buffalo was not held this past year due to low registration numbers. First time it wasn't run since it was founded over 15 years ago. Some races have disappeared like Minneman (my first ever which had a sprint and olympic). Attendance dropped way off after they switched main sponsors (was Optum and went to something else then gone quickly after that). Heck, even Minnetonka used to sell out well in advance of the race for a number of years and the last few they are starting to see a decline in participation (still popular and good numbers but not sold out anymore).

I still participate in a local short TT series (TNT in Medina) and that has seen declines too. When I first started typically a night was maybe 50-60 riders and the busy nights were close to 80-90 or so. This past season on average we saw 30-40 riders and I think the biggest turnout was still shy of 60 riders (last race of the season is a BBQ, awards, and raffle prizes from sponsors so usually the best turnouts). Used to be 33/66 or maybe 25/75 split for purre bikers/Tri riders (my guesstimate...not confirmed). Now it is more of a 50/50 split but the number of pure riders has stayed the same it seems (again my guesstimate).

There's still a lot of races in the Twin Cities area and neighboring Wisconsin but I've even noticed a decline despite not racing for the last few years (due to life and being a family man).

The problem is everywhere. A big issue is that many MDot folks only have their focus on that MDot and bypass all local races. I have had endless heated discussions with folks about this.

But also, there are too many races, as there are too many bike brands, too many wheel companies, too many wetsuit brands, apparel brands, triathlon coaches, triathlon media etc

I think you may be on to something with the demographic issue. Triathlon at the local level is, statistically, a sport for people 45 to 60 years of age. I've seen fields with three times as many 45-49 age groupers as 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39 COMBINED. More 65-69 than 20-24 & 25-29 combined. The Boomers were the first generation to extend athletic performance beyond the age of 40. It appears that the successive generations, by and large, aren't interested.

I did not pull all of the races. And yes, I agree there were other races in the past. But there are also new races too. I won't disagree some good races have been lost, and that we have lost races from the peak. My only point was that in the general MN scene, there are multiple options for a sprint tri that are not over $100. I will say that MN has a pretty solid tri scene; good variety of races spread out across the summer season. You want low cost, there are options in the $50-$60 range. You want the big time show, we have a LIfetime race. Sprint all the way up through half iron for distance. We also have a few pretty decent duathlons available too.

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Ryan

There are plenty of races here in CO but in my town, Highlands Ranch (population 100,00) there used to be a sprint triathlon series in the summer. 3 races- June, July, August. Gradually reduced the number down to one and 2015 was the last race.

There is still a seemingly thriving run series but no triathlons.

There is also a 4 race Mtn Bike Series that costs only $100 for the series. Raced that in 2017 and had a blast. Beers and burgers after every race.

Judging by the people I see running and riding around town and the number of IM stickers on cars it seems there should be enough athletes to sustain a series. For whatever reason the numbers dwindled and they are gone. I personally know a few IM athletes (some KQers and AG contenders and some barely making cutoffs) that never raced any local races.

I loved being able to ride 2-3 miles to a race and be home by 10:00 am.

I agree with others about price and demographics being issues. The individual races were close to $100 if I recall. Also in its last year in 2015, I came in 13/140 OA at age 45. Of the 12 ahead of me, 2 were late 30s, the rest were 40 or older. The winner, a former pro was 49.

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Formerly DrD

Thanks for this. I didn't know about some of these. Buffalo is more than $75 though. I was going to sign up this week but my checkout for USAT fee and processing fees was well over $100. Even signing up early. Maple Grove tri is actually cheaper than the graniteman series.

In the gulf south, if a race is well run, it is typically well supported.

I stopped doing a race after they ran out of food 2 years in a row and the RDs were overheard floating about how much they saved/made by cutting back. And then didn’t give any thanks to my friends that volunteered kayak support.

i guess i look at races like i look at restaurants. some are around for a thousand years. but in socal, here, you see chefs opening restaurants, they're wildly successful, but in 10 years they're gone and onto something else. when it comes to entertainment and disposable dollars, there is some ratio of variety/newness juxtaposed with familiarity/predictability that seems to be the secret sauce.

i find that race directors are much more likely to offer the same experience year over year, but at a higher cost. the cost is the only thing that changes. what is the likely result?

i met derek bouchard-hall at interbike this year. impressive guy. he was CEO of USA cycling at that moment, but shortly thereafter announced his resignation. i told him at interbike that road cycling was dead in the US, and that the organization needed to find some way to embrace gravel. he disagreed that road cycling is dead. but i don't see how it isn't. gravel racing is brand spanking new, and yet a small gravel race in california (where we have no gravel) is the same size as a big road race. if you look at the gravel calendar in california, it's spacious. we have very little of a calendar. yet you go to a good gravel race and there's 1,200 or 1,400 athletes in it. i think there's a truth there, staring you in the face. but RDs don't like truth. they prefer their own mythology.

RDs don't like change. but their customers like change. delmo puts on a new race, just for women, pool swim, swim first, sells it out in year-1. 1,350. goes off without a hitch. what's delmo's magic? there is no magic. i promise you, delmo can tell you stories of his flops. his same careful attention goes into every race, but some flop. some go. just like restaurants.

what RDs need to do is take calculated risks, in my opinion. RDs can lay some of that risk on me. i'll take some of it. but RDs are, in our sport, as a group, risk averse, badly capitalized, and i therefore find them - again, as a group - a bad fit for my ambitions. which is odd. the occasional RD, yes. good fit. but i've reached the unfortunate conclusion that, in the main, i'm going to have to bring new partners for my ambitions in from outside the sport.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Well, yes USAT sponsored races require a USAT license. If you do not have one, that is an added cost. Then, choose those races that are not USAT races and save the license fee (Green Lake, and a couple others are not USAT sponsored). Many of those are not USAT races. It just takes a touch of effort to look around.

Also, how is Buffalo well over $100? How much is a single day USAT license now? With the $6.31 online reg fee, Buffalo is $81.31 to sign up for today with a USAT license (I view the USAT license as a separate transaction). So, to be well over $100, the USAT license would have to be north of $20 (I am asking about one day, as if you are buying the annual it is a bit disingenuous to consider this as a one race cost)? You seem to be a little dramatic about prices. I am not saying $82 is cheap, but it is not over $100, and definitely not way over $100. If all you want to do is bitch and complain, feel free but at least be honest when you do so. Race Directors shouldn't have to deal with bad press from folks like you openly lying about the cost of their races, because $81.31 is actually well under $100 in my book.

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Ryan

By and large a gravel race is still going to be a "participation" event more so than a USAC licensed even of any kind. If USAC has a gravel race, it's not going to automatically mirror the participation numbers of the unaffiliated events.

A USAC gravel race isn't going to have a local BBQ buffet and hand out beer tickets afterwards and possibly have a local band playing.

Also, the formalized competitive organizations attract competitive athletes trying to get their points and move up.

That barrier of entry, competitively, can be rough in road race. There is no such barrier in non-sanctioned gravel racing. Show up and register by age group and have at it.

But, I admit you're right. RR is losing participants and races. Gravel is gaining participants and unaffiliated races/events. I fear if too much gets affiliated, you may lose some of the magic/mojo.

Happening here in Kansas as well.
Couple local events died off for various reasons. Some got bought and the new owner jacked up the prices and drove it into the ground.
Another series died off because the RD tried to mail it in and just have the event. No frills. Suspect support.

Unless you have the capitol to put on a good event year after year, it's becoming harder for the local events to stay afloat.
The races that people come away feeling like they were appreciated as a customer are the ones that survive and the RD's and race owners don't all seem to get that.
If they come in looking for a windfall of cash, putting on triathlons is the wrong biz. You can make money, but you need to keep your customers happy.

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

I find that the individual local race may have fewer numbers. But out here in these parts, there's a large number of local and near-local races that are available over a short period of time. That means the finite number of triathletes have more options per person, someone's going to suffer. Triathlon is stealing from its own. Also, the sport isn't doing enough to attract the next generation. Its archaic rules (no music, phones, groups, cold medicine) coupled with the cost of entry doesn't encourage the average 20-something to get involved. That group of people is far more interested in having an event that is more fun, than competitive. And triathlon is ignoring their needs.

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