Was listening to the TRS Lionel Sanders podcast the other day. Sanders had mentioned he should have enough Kona points already to qualify for next year and may only do a couple of early season 70.3 next season and maybe IM Texas in May. Got me thinking, how will he support himself for the rest of the year. If he isn’t racing he isn’t earning any prize money (which isn’t much anyway). Can most pros live off of their sponsorship money? I could see the top tier pros but wondering about the 2nd tier and lower.
I would say most “pro’s” have to work to pay bills or else they are trust babies. In the end unless the market is making money off of sponsorships then their budget to cary more and more athletes is not valued. It’s just the realities of life…
As mentioned, many will have alternative forms of income. For example, Tim Don, who was 2nd at the 70.3 World Championship, coaches:
http://www.timdon.com/coaching.html
If a pro at the pinnacle of long course triathlon needs to supplement his/her income with coaching, that tells the story of how much money is(n’t) in triathlon.
I know a couple of the local pros around me also have semi-regular jobs. I would venture to say that most pros probably coach which can be another $200/person/month in income (figure they probably have 10 athletes so $2k/mo) but they also have “regular” jobs. I know for example a couple are dietitians and others do IT or various jobs that allow them to work from home.
Coaching, sponsors, or gasp… they plan their finances a little and save money… same way someone in a seasonal sales position would. For example Realtor, Auto Sales, motorcycle dealer, bicycle shop. Winter is usually a lot leaner.
Pros that get free or heavily discounted gear, will sell a lot of last seasons gear they received from sponsors for some quick cash. I’ve got a real nice wet suit pretty cheap last season and might try and pick up a swim skin this year. You’ll find that many of them will train on cheap box rims and gator skins as you get the most mileage out of them, then have very nice new wheels to sell… plus most don’t have wheel sponsors so they need to protect their assets and use them only for races.
I would consider me more an AG that races pro but i am an civil engineer, so just a regular joe 
I assume that there are tons that have a full time/part time jobs
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You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Lots of people in lots of different industries do not get regular paychecks. So, whether you are a roofer, real estate agent, farmer, starting short stop for the New York Yankees, or a professional triathlete, you do one of 2 things:
a) match your yearly spending to your yearly income and save the checks you do get so you can spread out your spending through the parts of the year where you don’t get paid; or
b) work a second job.
Lots of people in lots of different industries do not get regular paychecks. So, whether you are a roofer, real estate agent, farmer, starting short stop for the New York Yankees, or a professional triathlete, you do one of 2 things:
a) match your yearly spending to your yearly income and save the checks you do get so you can spread out your spending through the parts of the year where you don’t get paid; or
b) work a second job.
I don’t see how there is any money save. You race in some far away land and your winnings are less than your expenses associated with the race, assuming you are even in the money. And then on top of that, the long course guys only race a few times a year. How does that math work?
**Can most pros live off of their sponsorship money? I could see the top tier pros but wondering about the 2nd tier and lower. **
As I’ve said a number of times here there is only a very small group of professional triathletes who are making their full amount of income, in what would be considered the professional manner - race winnings and some form of income from sponsors. After that the money drops off precipitously!
As noted - many coach. Others have “other” sorts of jobs in the business, and some even work full-time jobs completely away from the business. At the risk of being sexist, it’s popular on the woman’s side of things to be supported substantially by your husband or partner.
My wife raced Pro for close to 10-years. A number of top-5 finishes at various IM races around the world. Always worked full-time, running her Hair Design & Styling business. There was no where near enough money earned from the sport to consider doing it full time. The one advantage my wife had because it was her own business, and she was self-employed she had considerable flexibility to come and go as she pleased - made it easier for training, and going away to train and race.
Q: How do you get a pro triathlete to leave your porch?
A: Pay for the pizza
Q: How do you get a pro triathlete to leave your porch?
A: Pay for the pizza
food transportation specialist.
If I recall correctly, Chris Lieto was a mortgage broker when he first turned pro and did both for a while.
Was listening to the TRS Lionel Sanders podcast the other day. Sanders had mentioned he should have enough Kona points already to qualify for next year and may only do a couple of early season 70.3 next season and maybe IM Texas in May. Got me thinking, how will he support himself for the rest of the year. If he isn’t racing he isn’t earning any prize money (which isn’t much anyway). Can most pros live off of their sponsorship money? I could see the top tier pros but wondering about the 2nd tier and lower.
Stud Fees!!
Just like horses. You should see what a former Ironman Winner’s sperm is worth!
How do they make a living during the regular season…
Ba da tssssss
I see many who are married to a sugar mama, sugar daddy or married into a family/comes from a family that just has a lot of money, period. Don’t underestimate the power of family money.
This goes for age groupers too (married to a sugar daddy or sugar mama)…then just train all the time. Great for them. However it needs to get done to get the fix or the goals. It’s why WE have a choice how life is lived.
If you don’t like something–change it.
Lots of people in lots of different industries do not get regular paychecks. So, whether you are a roofer, real estate agent, farmer, starting short stop for the New York Yankees, or a professional triathlete, you do one of 2 things:
a) match your yearly spending to your yearly income and save the checks you do get so you can spread out your spending through the parts of the year where you don’t get paid; or
b) work a second job.
I don’t see how there is any money save. You race in some far away land and your winnings are less than your expenses associated with the race, assuming you are even in the money. And then on top of that, the long course guys only race a few times a year. How does that math work?
There are more ways to earn money than just prize money. Most who really do the sport full time have some sort of base salary from sponsors plus performance bonuses. For example, I used to have bonuses for best bike split or first off bike from multiple sponsors and could walk away from a lot of races earning decent money without even having a good race.
Like others have stated you don’t get rich of it unless you’re one of the very top guys though.
Don’t underestimate the power of family money.
Jokes aside - many years ago, before sport became more popular and something for the masses, sport was only something that the moderately wealthy engaged in. Reason being, they were the ONLY ones with idle free-time to have the time to do anything. In the post industrial age - everyone else was working so hard and so long, they had little time for sport.
Ironically we are starting to see shades of that return. As the size of the middle class shrinks and sports participation becomes more expensive, sport is starting to again become the preserve of those who are reasonably well off.
A number of years ago I worked for a brief period of time for an agency that was tasked with raising money for Olympic Team athletes in Canada from private donors. There was the odd case, of the hard-up kid who made it, but by and large what I was noticing that many of the kids who reached national team levels in most sports, came from families that had a decent amount of money and wealth!
We definitely see that in triathlon - it may have one of the “best” demographics of any sport out there!
Waiter!
A multitude of ways. Some pro’s I coach work FT or PT jobs. Some are FT athletes and they are training their ass off right now in order to maximize their earning potential during the race season.
Really depends upon the athlete and their situation.