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What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag?
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I was noticing various Ironman items on eBay and was wondering what type of items do they give out in the goodie bags. I’m sort of critical on how much the entry fees are, but maybe some of the stuff offsets it. Do they give the same stuff out for both full and half?
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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The bag itself—remarkably low quality. IM lowers the bar every year with these.

A luggage tag—basically about $0.20 worth of plastic

A can of Red Bull—the highest valued item you will receive

A poster of the race—I have never been inspired to hang up one of these

Some promo flyers for race sponsors, etc.

If you take a short walk to the merchandise tent, you can buy some more attractive items....at 2x the price you would pay for a comparable item without the Mdot logo
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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Nothing useful. They really should make that an opt-in upon registration deal. I don't care whether they allow an opt-in without additional cost because right now it is downright wasteful.

808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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I’m racing IMMT and we didn’t get anything in our bag.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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The backpacks for Cozumel 2016 are solid (if a bit garish colorwise). Bags for 2018 Canada are gold quality and make great carryons. Canada 2013 bag sucked ass

Other than the gold bags, it’s all crap
Last edited by: ChrisM: Aug 15, 19 19:47
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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Depends.

Usual random collection of gels, bars, lip salve, vouchers, etc.

Then depending on the year / race:-
Rucksack of varying quality
Wheel bag
Folding picnic chair


And then of course the finish towel & finisher cap.

This in top of medal/tee shirt
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [danstu4] [ In reply to ]
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Hey man, that’s not right...racing as well...We got a Ironman bag, you have to go to the merchandise tent to pick it up...
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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In my experience, you end up with a bag (very poor quality for 70.3s and a bit better for IMs) which you are unliely to want or need, a couple of food/drink items (maybe a Redbull and a cereal bar) and a load of pretty useless brochures and other promotional nonsense.

They're not goody bags that offset the exorbitant fees. They're garbage that you have to carry from their registration tent before it eventually ends up split between recycling and land fill. I presume it's intended to make you think you're getting more than a race for your money. You're not.

I'd much rather they ditched the goody bag entirely. Alternatively just hand out some sort of momento for those interested. A mug, a fridge magnet, a badge for your training bag, whatever. Anything would be better than a bag full of promotional brochures.
Last edited by: Ai_1: Aug 16, 19 0:15
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [danstu4] [ In reply to ]
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danstu4 wrote:
I’m racing IMMT and we didn’t get anything in our bag.


Yeah it seems to get worse every year at Tremblant in terms of them cheaping out on everything. Unfortunate.

I think last year it was a cheapo bag, cliff bar, can of red bull, and a t-shirt.

This year it was a tiny container of fresh strawberries, and the cheapo bag that you had to go to the Ironman store/tent to pick up if you wanted it. Nothing else.

They also used to setup bounce castles etc for the kids on the grassy area at the bottom of the resort, no more.

I've noticed less vendors show up for the expo as well.
Last edited by: SBRcanuck: Aug 16, 19 4:32
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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At IM Ohio 70.3 we got a really nice submergeable dry bag, which is the kind we use to carry food, drinks, etc., on our paddle boards. Too bad we bought two of them about a month before the event from Academy Sports. Nonetheless it's a decent bag. I've also gotten swim equipment bags that I use and smaller sling bags. I have so many it's not funny, but I try to use them since technically i paid for them.

You also get a t-shirt, and a medal and finisher's cap if you finish. They always throw useless flyers in the bag along with an optional Redbull. They used to give a couple Clif Bars but now that its Base Bar, you don't get any free bars. I used to a least appreciate a couple bars I could smash at the hotel as snacks before the race, but no more. Vendors used to have more giveaways like water bottles but not at Ohio. I had to buy an $9 water bottle which was the cheapest I could find that I needed as a throwaway for the race. Luckily I did find a race equivalent Gatorade Endurance bottle the night before the event at like the 8th gas station we hit up, so I ended up being able to keep the bottle.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [Waingro] [ In reply to ]
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Please tell me what you would like to see/have. I don't produce an IM (;-)) , but in my small local race I would love ideas, maybe unique, that athletes would like to see. I would love to hear your ideas. Thank you.

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [mwanner13] [ In reply to ]
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mwanner13 wrote:
At IM Ohio 70.3 we got a really nice submergeable dry bag, which is the kind we use to carry food, drinks, etc., on our paddle boards. Too bad we bought two of them about a month before the event from Academy Sports. Nonetheless it's a decent bag. I've also gotten swim equipment bags that I use and smaller sling bags. I have so many it's not funny, but I try to use them since technically i paid for them.

You also get a t-shirt, and a medal and finisher's cap if you finish. They always throw useless flyers in the bag along with an optional Redbull. They used to give a couple Clif Bars but now that its Base Bar, you don't get any free bars. I used to a least appreciate a couple bars I could smash at the hotel as snacks before the race, but no more. Vendors used to have more giveaways like water bottles but not at Ohio. I had to buy an $9 water bottle which was the cheapest I could find that I needed as a throwaway for the race. Luckily I did find a race equivalent Gatorade Endurance bottle the night before the event at like the 8th gas station we hit up, so I ended up being able to keep the bottle.

+1 for the dry bags they are giving this year; I use them for my swim bags and its great to not have my wetsuit dripping everywhere on the bike or train ride home.

I also have to refluctantly endorse the microfiber towels they have in the merch tent, got one as a gift and its been a big effciency boost with how little space it takes up in a bag and absorbency.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [Beverd] [ In reply to ]
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Beverd wrote:
mwanner13 wrote:
At IM Ohio 70.3 we got a really nice submergeable dry bag, which is the kind we use to carry food, drinks, etc., on our paddle boards. Too bad we bought two of them about a month before the event from Academy Sports. Nonetheless it's a decent bag. I've also gotten swim equipment bags that I use and smaller sling bags. I have so many it's not funny, but I try to use them since technically i paid for them.

You also get a t-shirt, and a medal and finisher's cap if you finish. They always throw useless flyers in the bag along with an optional Redbull. They used to give a couple Clif Bars but now that its Base Bar, you don't get any free bars. I used to a least appreciate a couple bars I could smash at the hotel as snacks before the race, but no more. Vendors used to have more giveaways like water bottles but not at Ohio. I had to buy an $9 water bottle which was the cheapest I could find that I needed as a throwaway for the race. Luckily I did find a race equivalent Gatorade Endurance bottle the night before the event at like the 8th gas station we hit up, so I ended up being able to keep the bottle.

+1 for the dry bags they are giving this year; I use them for my swim bags and its great to not have my wetsuit dripping everywhere on the bike or train ride home.

I also have to refluctantly endorse the microfiber towels they have in the merch tent, got one as a gift and its been a big effciency boost with how little space it takes up in a bag and absorbency.

+2, got one at Muncie. A lot better than the ones I got from Steelhead last year

Gone with the wind

Instagram: palmtreestriathlon
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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Not an M-Dot event... but for the Outlaw full distance event innthe UK, it's been a grest bag for the past 3 years.
2017 and 2018 it was a good quality Blue Seventy rucksac swim bag, that I've been using a a carry-on for many business trips - laptop, some docs, and 3 or 4 shirts / duds etc without problem.
This year a similar bag by BrikKit.

Oh... and its about $200 less to enter too.


As far as what would I like... some thing useful. Eg mugs for coffee at work.
From a run event in the Lake District instead of a medal it was a slate coaster / mat (slate being the local material used in lots of buildings there and so synonymous with the Lake District)
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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The bags from non-US/Canada races I've found to be significantly higher quality.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [palmtrees] [ In reply to ]
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yeah - the dry bags from Canada weren't half bad
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [y_nigel] [ In reply to ]
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I like the posters... I put them in my office at work as an opportunity to tell my coworkers that I am an Ironman. I hang the finisher banners in my garage as an opportunity to tell my neighbors that I am an Ironman. I put the luggage tags on my suitcase as an opportunity to tell people at the airport that I am an Ironman. I don't have an m-dot tattoo.

2017 IM Canada bag is legit. I use it daily for my laptop... it's well padded and it's nice that it is embroidered. Last year's weird duffel/backpacks are useless but interestingly the one for Cozumel was nicely embroidered with the logo facing up when used as a duffel but the Boulder one had an iron-on logo and it is upside down. My wife and daughter use them as gym bags. Generally all the 70.3 bags are useless though my daughter still uses my 2015 Boulder 70.3 bag as a overnight bag. Anything useful is appreciated but I cringe when I think how much of the useless stuff ends up in the landfill.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [driftin'by] [ In reply to ]
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If you don't set your expectations very high regarding the swag.....you won't be disappointed. :-)
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [david] [ In reply to ]
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david wrote:
Please tell me what you would like to see/have. I don't produce an IM (;-)) , but in my small local race I would love ideas, maybe unique, that athletes would like to see. I would love to hear your ideas. Thank you.

Best stuff I've gotten over the past 15 years:
- Branded pint glass (I now collect/buy them at every race, but the first ones I got free in a swag bag)
- Socks (bike or run, you can never have too many)
- Chick Fil A free sandwich card
- Clif bars or GUs (but not some weird brand or nutrition no one has heard of)
- Pajama pants (totally random! But I wear them!)
- Flip flops (everyone could use a pre-race throw away pair or one for the pool)
- Something locally significant. I did a race held on Navajo land and finishers got a hand-made Navajo pottery cup.
- And random suggestion: If you're going to let other races include a flyer in your bag, at least have them list a discount code - maybe you all could swap discount codes as perks so you both benefit
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [vonschnapps] [ In reply to ]
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I have learned from most events that swag bags are completely wasteful. Basically athletes seem to be rifling through the bags to extract all hard goods and then the rest (coupons, stickers etc) get tossed with the (plastic) bag in the trash. When the swag bag is a backpack or similar, then folks maybe just dump the contents in the trash.

So as a race director myself, my two friends and I looked hard at this and we have no swag bags to give out. And we are now in year 4. We have however all cool swag, and the lot changes every year. But we have had Boco technical trucker hats each year with a new design. Last year folks also got a race t-shirt with no sponsors on the back, and two collapsing silicone cups with our logo on. What the teams like the most are personal notes addressed to each team. So if vonschnaps and I were a team, maybe the note says:

vonschnaps and herbert,
You can win this race but watch out for the big rocks and the mountain animals. Be strong and swim fast and don't fall.

Adrian
3rd Grade
Brunson Elementary

Plus all photography is included for personal use. We hire two ace photographers to shoot the race.

Teams also pick up their bibs and silicone swim caps at package pickup, and we ask them all to bring a bag to store all that stuff. Plus they really need to bring a bag anyway with their mandatory gear.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [lisac957] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you!

And, from Herbert's post - YES! And, I tend to copy you a bit :-)!

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [david] [ In reply to ]
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I actually like the backpack they gave away at IM Lake Placid this year. In 6yrs of racing IM branded races, it's certainly the most useful. Though one of the zippers already broke.......

-------------------------------------------------------------
Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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IM Maryland had those notes from one of the local schools. Not really my thing but a pretty cool way to get the community involved a little more and I'm sure a lot of people really enjoyed reading the notes from the kids.
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [FuzzyRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Nice. But where they personalized or simply. Dear athlete ...
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Re: What swag do you get in an Ironman goodie bag? [FuzzyRunner] [ In reply to ]
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IM Western Australia gave a great towel that I use on my turbo.
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