I have often wondered which is more important for a pro. To win Kona and acquire sponsors which would surely come as a result of that win or is it the semi big pay cheque?
I wonder for example, if some independent Iron Distance race were to miraculously come up with $1-2,000,000 to put up for the pros for placing in the race, would the pros ditch Kona and go this independent race for a greater chance at a better payday? or would only the “2nd tier” pros show up at the independent race?
You really think so? I go back and forth on this issue all the time. On the one hand a better opportunity to make some money is good, but it is Kona. I would imagine that the pros have dreams of racing there as well since it isn’t as easy to get there for them either.
They would do both if possible. Most pros do Kona because it is where the action is. This is where they go to test themselves against the best.
It is also where all the players from the tri industry convene and an excellent place to link up with sponsors.
What you are suggesting is similar in concept to Lifetime Fitness…yes, the pros show up there, but no one is ditching the ITU World’s or Olympic Games for Lifetime.
i guess this is somewhat related to what you’re asking…a “second/third/not peter reid” tier pro won chesapeake man iron distance race 2 years ago. he’s racing im wisconsin this weekend. without looking at the chesapeake man results, could you pick him off of the wisconsin start list? chances are that 99+% of people would have absolutely no clue. he could ‘easily’ qualify as an age grouper but i know that one of his big career goals is to qualify for hawaii as a pro.
The U.S. Open in Dallas is on the same weekend as Kona. The 1st place prize money in that race is $60,000. That might be enough to keep some OLY and HIM distance pros from trying their luck at Kona this year.
I think it probably varies from person to person, and depends on how finicially comfortable the athlete is. For guys like Macca, Hawaii is the nirvana of triathlon, and he is making plenty of money. I bet if there was a big pay day race, you’d see some of the top pros that could place top 10 in kona, but arent really good enought to win, make the jump.
some poeple will still go to hawaii as there is still a lot of money but the big boys would be where the money is… triathlon isnt that good on money and if you have a chance of a huge paycheck… i think most people with reach of it will go for it.
Look at lifetime fitness the first year… everyone peaked for it and nobody show up to coornerbrook world cup on the same day. And many of the Itu guys have peak for Lifetime that was a bigger focus than worlds…
I agree…and why not. That’s a big chunk of cheese. And with the history in this sport of big money sponsors pulling in and out (read: tri dubai, J david, Foxcatcher, Bud light etc etc) who knows how long this fly by night 2mil is around. Race for the bucks, do Kona some other time.
if there is a 2 million dollar race one the same day as hawaii for the pro… hawaii would be a exclusive age group race.
I don’t think you overstated at all. Right now the biggest PURSE in triathlon is about $700,000. The biggest winner check is $250K. Everybody that races Ironman would go to a race that had a $1,000,000 winner’s check with a $2,000,000 total purse. More ITU guys would race Ironman for sure. The Olympics would be the only thing worth more to SOME of them.
I wonder though since in North America, if you win Gold in the Olympics, you are almost guaranteed a lucrative sponsorship/exposure deal. Especially in the US but even in Canada that could go well beyond winning one race with a big payout. I think if I were a pro and had to decide on something like that I would have a big problem.
By the way, the only way I see this happening is if I win the lottery big time. Then I will do it.
Cut your numbers in half since half the $$$$ go to the women’s field. Now the winner stands to take home $250K. Not bad, but not that much more than a rockstar sales guy can put away in Pharmaceuticals, technology etc etc on a good year servicing big Tier 1 accounts. Also if you win Kona or podium, between the the kona prize money and trying to milk the positioning for solid sponsorships and future revenue, a Tier 1 pro may or may not chose this new event over Kona.
…and Jonnyo, you are comparing Lifetime vs ITU World Cup Cornerbrooke. This would be like comparing the $2M hypothetical race against Ironman Malaysia or Ironman Wisconsin…not Kona.
