It’s very good for the sport. Waiting for @Tritalkingfacts to mention “dirty Omani money” his wonderful wife, of whom I’m a fan, will be earning next season to pay for the beers served to Mark, of whom I’m also a fan. At least twice please because the first time it will sound like a joke 
As far as I understand, Oman has stable relationships with all its neighbours, even Iran, so I don’t really see any terrorist groups being a danger tbh (e.g. Houthis)
Slightly different thing to think about when you go racing in a country where the judicial system is not exactly what you’re used to, is where you find yourself when bad shit happens.
I don’t know anything about Oman or if things have changed in Abu-Dhabi since the Starky incident, but I’m pretty sure that in Europe, NZ, Australia, etc. you will not find yourself in a dungeon with no legal representation, no rights and battling the whims of an obscure judicial system.
For those who don’t know/remember what I’m referring to (you can google it more, not sure if this is the best source):
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Thanks for posting this, I had no idea.
Yeah the world is rather unstable right now and who knows how much worse everything will be in 2029.
My initial reaction is that the travel would be too far and difficult (logistically). I found it difficult getting from Vermont to Marbella and will be doing a lot of driving to and from airports. Even NZ was too far and difficult for me so I didn’t even bother sticking around for the rolldowns in early 2024 where I might have been able to nab a slot for Taupo. (I was third in the new 70.3 in Cap Cana, DR)
I don’t know much about Oman but did look it up. Seems like it might be safer for a woman to travel to alone compared to many countries (but I’d have my husband). And sounds like a modern country. I don’t doubt this would be a great/festive race venue. But I don’t see many Americans making the long trek to Oman due to long difficult travel and the expense. And maybe even for safety reasons as stated above due to current tensions.
Being a woman I looked up women’s rights in Oman and women do have less rights compared to men, but not surprised by that since it’s a Muslim country (no offense to anyone). And women are not supposed to expose skin, so I wonder if there would be any female triathletes in Oman. I can understand other female posters here not feeling comfortable in a country where women live very differently compared to western women and have less rights. I get that. Waingro did make some points to consider too. Being gay is a sin in Islam and not acceptable in Oman so one would have to be very careful. But then again, you could say the same for some places in the US. Maybe the US is actually more unsafe in some places for same sex couples as our political divide grows deeper and deeper.
But since Marbella is my last 70.3 for the forseable future, this is a moot point for me personally. But I don’t see this location being embraced by everyone in the Ironman community. Again, I’m not saying it won’t be a really nice race venue. But does beg some considerations.
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I don’t know if the judicial system in Oman is obscure - the Sultan holds (and delegates) all the power and there is no division of authority between him and anyone else! Just make sure the Sultan likes you!
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Especially as he’ll probably be around for a while…his cousin ruled for 50 years…
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There are plenty of women racing in the 70.3 (both local/GCC and abroad). There was even a womans fun run put on the day before. The ladies raced in everything from stock standard sleeveless/sleeved tri-suits and the more conservative muslim ladies wore typical sport style hijab.
These skin rules typically mean just wear what’s appropriate (ie don’t walk into a mall wearing a bikini top and mini skirt). And if you’re going to a mosque or a culturally sensitive place you’d be required to cover your hair.
You’re allowed to say whatever you like, even if it’s not true
I think I know how I feel. That makes it true 
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This isn’t true. Of course, no one is traveling halfway around the world for a race just to argue politics. But the reality in absolute monarchies like Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain is that direct criticism of the ruler, the royal family, or government policies is a crime. Social media posts, tweets, even a private causal conversation that get reported can lead to arrest
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Yes, should probably avoid politics and/criticism of their religion and such while visiting other countries. That being said, personal safety is very good in my experience.
Haha, touche
I remember seeing that Nike was making sporting clothes for Muslim women.
I’m all about modesty and finding a happy medium. I do think that some younger women and even girls in western society dress a bit …how do I say it politely… Um. Let’s just say I think we sometimes expose too much skin in some situations. I’m all about finding middle ground. But then again, each to their own.
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Have you been to some cities in the USA???
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Yeah, and?
So I’m going to come back to this after the IMWC with some thoughts on Ironman in general.
Watching the race in Kona, where we have a lot of angst about being accepted by the locals etc. I was reminded why the race moved to Kona in the first place – because Oahu was too populated and wasn’t practical to hold a growing race there.
Kona wanted Ironman. Watching the Chicago Marathon, Chicago wants that race for the sheer number of participants it brings and the relatively limited duration the roads are closed makes it worth it to them. But many residents still complain and hate it, which is why I think efforts to change the Kona course etc to make residents happy is misguided. Our presence is offensive to a growing number of them, period. Read every locals Facebook post and they find every possible bad apple they can stretching back years and gripe about it online. You can’t overcome that with a “ya but we adjusted the marathon course”.
Shifting gears.
Well Oman wants Ironman. What would Ironman have ever been if we (they) insisted it remain always on Oahu and limited and adjusted the race accordingly until it shrunk down to this niche thing for 100 odd balls and never exploded in popularity?
I find it ironic that we have some places that can’t wait to get rid of us, and others that will spend massive amounts of money to attract us.
Long way to say, I’m completely rethinking my openness to racing in a place like Oman or Boise or Happy Valley for that matter (presuming the latter two ”want” the Ironman).
I’ve occaisonally thought it would be perfect if we could find another small island, maybe even one of the Hawaiian islands that desperately wants the attention and is willing to think long term about making triathlon a part of its identity.
Well, isn’t Oman committing to that in some respect? If Ironman delivers big and becomes the main positivile thing people think about when they hear Oman over the next decade, won’t they continue to value and support the race to a greater degree than Hawaii will?
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Bobbies not carrying guns is a rarity amongst European police forces and police forces globally. France, Spain, Monaco, Germany, regular cops carry at least pistols while on the street. In France specifically and it hasn’t changed much, you have Armed Soldiers supporting the Gendarmerie at major infrastructure locations (Airports, Train Stations).
Bobbies tend to avoid problems because they are not armed to deal with them.
In the US, every officer does carry a sidearm. It’s normal and not an obsession, do you think Canadians have this obsession? Their police carry sidearms.
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