Yesterday was Ironman Florianópolis, and this time the presence of Scott DeRue and his team did not go unnoticed, especially as they actively participated in the press conference and answered questions from the media.
We all know that when a CEO travels with members of the leadership team, there is usually a strategic purpose behind it. Latin America has been one of Ironman’s fastest-growing regions year over year, with Brazil leading that growth.
During the Race Live broadcast on YouTube, we had the opportunity to hear from members of the Ironman team, who expressed how pleased they were with the atmosphere and overall organization of Ironman Florianópolis. Several opportunities appear to be under consideration, including the possibility of hosting an Ironman Pro Series event or 70.3 WC.
I hope this visit was productive and included meaningful discussions on how to bring even more high-quality events to the region. I believe many North American athletes would be more likely to travel to Latin America than to Europe, given the proximity, accessibility, and growing appeal of the races held here.
It’s definitely an untapped market. Not much competition, and IM has the early mover advantage. Can see the events growing
prize money for pros in that region is quite dismal. Not many can afford to travel north all year round to compete. Something can be done there as well
“During the March 15, 2015 Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico in San Juan, two triathletes were struck by stray gunfire when occupants of two passing vehicles exchanged shots during the bike segment“
Have raced in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. You just have to be street smart and stay in areas where there are tourists or largely safe. Same with South Africa, viewed as a dangerous country!
Like many other places the biggest crime is phone snatching, similar to London. I wouldn’t use it as a reason not to visit South America or race there as well. Flight connectivity can be a pain, you don’t get the same breath of option flying into a major US or European city
Latin america would be a great place for a 70.3 world championship or a Pro series race.
In Chile, a country with only 20 million people, and not the best geography for road travel, this year we´re going to host SIX Ironman events (Pucon, Valdivia, Puerto varas, all 70.3; Valdivia full distance; Coquimbo and Iquique 5150) and two WT World Cups (Viña, San Pedro de la Paz). Basically all you have to do is travel to Santiago (SCL) and then take a local flight to Temuco (one hour car travel to Pucon), Valdivia direct, Puerto Montt (half an hour to Puerto Varas), Coquimbo direct and Iquique direct. Much easier than a lot of IM events in NA or Europe.
Chile is one of the safetest countries in LA (if not the safest) but of course that daily burglary could happend if you left your things unattended or if you go to a dangerous area. Like in every other place.
Many pros have raced here (Sam Long, Lionel Sanders, Marta Sanchez, Laura Sidall, Haley Chura, Gomez Noya, Lucy Byram, Jeanne Lehair, Gwen Jorgenson, etc) and the majority of them then come back, for race again or vacation. Also, we host Patagon Man, for those of you who likes extreme tri.
I think a Pro Series race would be a great idea. For a IMWC 70.3 maybe we have to fix the hotel capacity of some cities, but Coquimbo or Puerto Varas could handle it atm.
70.3 San Juan is closed to traffic. The first part of the bike course is on half of the highway separated from traffic by steel guardrail and concrete barriers. The second part of the course is fully closed to traffic. The area the shooting happened in (Miramar) just exiting the city must have been cross fire onto the closed roads.
