Yet without participation culture, you will get a decline in triathlon. It’s not marketed well enough to draw in people for it’s toughness as it did in it’s early heydays.
Because it’s not tough anymore. The majority of the courses are the easiest they can find in an area, at least in the US. What new triathlons have came out recently that you looked at and said wow that could kick my ass. For instance, if Boulder Peak wasn’t started 20 years or whatever ago, that race wouldn’t exist today. Maybe Alaskaman is a recent once or something else I’m not thinking but it’s not a lot.
It’s almost like Ironman is trying to design ultra endurance races that appeal to the masses, while leaving tough courses in certain areas for the smaller part of their market who feels that “just doing” an Ironman isn’t enough