"I have three children all excellent at sports.
Good swimmers, great bikers and one a first class runner and I can't give away a race bike to any of the three.
Two have done Tri's (but not for over a decade)"


Michael,

What turned them off or away from triathlon. What would bring them back?

That's huge right there Dev. Indeed - really getting deep as to WHY people do this!

Agree also on the smaller (way smaller) local events. Something like they have in Track & Field - they call them "All Comers Meets". Usually put on by a local club. I get it that triathlon is a bit more complicated, but if you strip it down to it's barest essentials - it can be pretty simple.

Barrie Shepley is doing exactly that in the Toronto area. Really simple swim-bike-run for at most 50 people.

As a former sports apparel manufacturer, event organizer and race sponsor I've been giving this an awful lot of thought and am frankly surprised there hasn't been more chatter on this here.

As someone who knows you personally from that former life, I hear your pain and angst and wish you safe harbour until things return to normal - which they inevitably will, as much as the media and hand wringers and dystopians want to talk about how "everything has changed" and "the world will never be the same."

I actually believe that the near (even if that means 1,2, 3 year +) future holds a renaissance for endurance sports, fitness, outdoor recreation and wellness in general. People have had little else to do but go outside to burn off excess energy and little choice but to look for local market outdoor recreation options to change the scenery. And the leading indicators are showing that as well. Supply chain discussions aside, try finding running or biking gear in stock. All that's left is remaindered sizes and (focus group of one) the shops I visit are backordered - and now online seems to be running out of stock as well. Bike shops are booming and prices are even rising in the resale market. Even the kayak and SUP market is killing it and I've never seen so many new people entering the power and sailboat market. Not to mention the whole "health food," yoga, mindfullness, micro-dosing and whatever other wellness trip one can think of that's getting a boost right now...

So, what does all that have to do with tri, aerobic, ultra, etc., activities? I think that as we come out of this, it will be like jogging in the 70's, mtb and tri in the 90's, etc. and there will be a future boom awaiting event organizers as not only will there be huge pent-up demand by existing participants, but there's very likely going to be a huge new audience who are honed, equipped, and itching to take their new skills and bodies to the next level.

The challenge for people like you and I who have been around this for a very long time - as well as for the people who have actually found their way to this forum - is that we're thinking in terms of comparisons to the past and not asking the crystal ball about potential opportunities yet to come.

The very sad truth is that in the meantime many hardworking people will be hurt and more than we'd like to think about will go out of business. However, new energy, ideas and companies will eventually fill the void and that will ultimately be healthy and good - like a forest fire that burns old growth so that fresh new bush can grow. And for all the talk here of dominant marquees like IM, etc., going bust, should that happen their assets will be purchased by new owners or they will ultimately be replaced. But, like that forest fire, it's going to get ugly. And there will be tears.

There is a very real opportunity - right now - for people to start stepping-up with new ideas that exend beyond lame-ass, cash grab "virtual" events. There are no safety or medical reasons small, well thought-out and managed, unsanctioned, guerrilla events (and I'm endorsing this as someone formerly involved in sports governance) can't be conceived and executed in ways that represent less or comparable risk than going out for dinner or riding the subway.

New experiences can be created. New brands can be birthed. Individuals can take it upon themselves to build and new communities. Existing companies can innovate and find workarounds - and most importantly, really, really lean in on their customer service - which is sorely lacking right now.

Some will be inspired and take advantage of reduced competition and competitors too scared or confused to act. They will be rewarded with being the "next big thing" when life as we know it returns.




Best to you.

“Barn’s burnt down. Now I can see the moon.”
- Mizuta Masahide

I know Adam and Christine at Somersault Promotions locally plan to restart for a full local series next year. Maybe with no Mdot racing, we get more people at the local events and when you get the same people showing up locally rather than head across the country for Mdot stuff (and skip local events) the local ones can flourish more because you get more of that community feel evolving week over week.


Smaller Operators, like Somersault, may be in a better situation than mid to large sized businesses and Operators in the space, because they may be able to "hibernate" or shutter the business, and then open it back up, when we really get the green light again.

They will be the first ones, at the grass-roots level, and be on the front line of a possible surge in running, cycling and triathlon race/event participation, when we do get to the other side, with a conversion of some or many of these many people all out, running, walking and cycling - because of the pandemic!