So does my wife, and it also speaks to the truth.
I’m not really saying that. I’m saying by setting it up like they did, they didn’t allow the sport to basically even attempt to accept that we can have an championship race outside of Kona. When it’s always 1 year away you will always have a skewed experiment. Again I’m not saying take Kona out of the roation, I’m not saying to replace Kona as the legacy IM. I’m saying there are likely 5 venues that I think the sport in 2025 can put a 4 year rotation and not have massive drop off in numbers, all the while still having Kona an every year IM in non-championship years. I feel pretty confident about that in 2025 triathlon, certainly not 1998 triathlon. And that takes nothing away from Kona (who is saying it would?).
I will disagree with you on 1 thing. If the sport said they would do a 4 year rotation, I think they could find 5 locations in the world to easily get ~5k people for a 2 day race weekend (obviously Kona would only be a 1 day race in said rotation). And that not take anything away from the legacy of Kona. Kona will always be the “grandaddy of them all” (cue Keith Jackson voice).
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I said what I would do. Not what IM would do.
But, of course if you’re polling your existing customer base the vast majority of them are going to vote for the way things were, as that’s what they knew or drew them in. I don’t think that data is shocking to anybody.
The question is whether that’s the right move from a growth perspective for the sport. Sometimes the old ways are best. And sometimes the most dangerous words in business are “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Time will tell.
I think they could have done 1000M / 1000W slots, then left the rest for “proportional” allocation, but that’s also based on how quickly they’re filling women’s only Kona again.
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There’s some stats in the infographic that should raise some discussion.
Especially the 2023 Vs 2024 coverage.
2023 had pretty similar coverage between Nice and Kona.
What’s the reason for the bigger coverage/reach in 2024 and the one sided Nice/Kona split?
Also, they are saying that Kona finishers are more likely to quit Ironman. There’s a philosophical question about whether it’s better to keep people dreaming or to give them their dream.
Messick made a big show of trumpeting gender equality as the motivation for a two day Kona, and then a split WC. The motivation always was to maximize the number of athletes paying double the normal entry fee to race a WC. The virtue signaling was just a side benefit.
In the final tally, male pros and AGers will have raced two out of a six year period in Kona. The prior regime were awful stewards of this event.
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That’s an odd point of comparison - 1 Day in Kona vs the current split format. Curiously, they’re not showing “2 Day rotation not in Kona” which was the other major option.
I assume their research said 1 day in Kona was prefered, but it’s a poor comparison
ETA - there’s also a business proposition here. People often stop doing IMs once they hit their bucket list goal - e.g. Kona or the WC. They doubled the number of slots and so the carrot has become easier. You qualify and then go do something else. Keep it exclusive enough and people will keep chasing.
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On its face, I understand why this makes sense. What if fails to capture though is the brand value Kona brings to Ironman. I have always contended it’s irreplicable. It’s mostly an enviable proposition. Companies would kill themselves to have a brand recognition factor that is so iconic and well known. I had a brief compliance call the other day with a guy at our corporate home office and Ironman came up. He knows nothing about the sport, but he did know “the race in Hawaii”. Growing the sport needs to take place at the local level and in 70.3’s, not trying to change to biggest name recognition race in their portfolio.
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If I’m remembering my numbers right, the women’s only Kona races have had less both times then the men’s only Kona races. Anyone care to fact check? Headed to the pool for last minute panic training before St George.
That’s correct, and why @rrheisler concept of how there should be equality of slots belies the reality that women will never be equal participants in Ironman by choice not impediments to participation. Oh and see you in St. George. 
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Women will never be equal participants in ironman by choice AND impediments to participation
Fixed that for you
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So… 3000 slots. Anyone want to hazard what slot allocation will look like?
I suppose the qualification cycle for this starts in August?
Please note, I’m not disagreeing with anything you are saying. I’m more saying that in 2025 I think the sport can hold a 2 day WC location and rotate IMWC (including Kona but would only be a 1 day race)) and not lose financially IMO. The bigger issue wasn’t the location, it was the split championship imo with only ~2500 people racing. They were doubling the costs, a 2 day single location would combine the costs, and I think in 2025, the sport could manage it and IM still keep it’s Kona legacy etc.
So I’m not disagreeing with anything you say. By default the data would say how powerful Kona was/is/always be. I just contend if they actually built a 4 year IMWC rotation, they’d get the numbers to make it work financially.
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A distinction without a difference.
Would love to see how they came up with the data for “athletes who race WC Kona are 40% more likely to retire”.
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There are no exact analogies, but to me this feels like the BAA deciding in 1980 that women don’t like marathons because “hey, we let them in and they still aren’t participating”.
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But Boston uses a time qualification standard not a participant number standard, so it’s analogous.
Or ,you don’t understand the impediments women face that the overwhelming majority of men don’t face
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+1 came here to say this…
also Nice is a more difficult destination for most of the US, and not as attractive as an Ironman destination. History and tradition do count for something…
so lower numbers in Nice are hardly unexpected.
I’d race 70.3 in Nice, for IM I would want to race Kona. Not that I’ll ever qualify now, but.
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Kona, Daytona, Augusta, Boston all have the recognition that no others in the respective sport have. Only IM of the 4 tried to ruin it. Glad they smartened up.
Although moving the 70.3 to France for a few years, seems like they may have decided to lessen its appeal.
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Anyone else feel like Nice was simply not a very interesting venue? Kona has the built-in Ironman history/mystique, the Hawaiian vacation vibe, etc. Sure, Nice is nice, and Tour de France/Paris-Nice has history there and whatnot, but it never really stood out to me as a blockbuster location for tri. Is there a more interesting location that would have worked better?