Was signed up for this year’s Savageman, and I just got an email that they are cancelling this year’s race. They said that this was due to road construction, but if you read between the lines, I think it’s pretty clear that they just didn’t have enough people signed up to avoid losing their shirt.
I’ve been training like crazy for this and looking to salvage the season with another 70.3 in the Northeast. Any recommendations?
I was in for the triple again. Looking for races as well.
From the sound of the email that is the end of the line for Savageman going forward. Really sad. Such a fantastic race and everything quintessentially good about triathlon.
Looks like Harryman might be the best option. It has a similar insane elevation profile on the bike and is one week earlier. I would love to hear from anyone who has done this race.
USAT Long Course Nationals is in NY in September. IM Maine opened up more spots but it’s in 2 weeks. Pilgrimman & AC are in September. Looks like there are a lot of NY options in general.
What a shame to see smaller races with such character disappear. Maybe kny can get back into the Savageman business? Seems like niche races like it can only flourish when someone with a real passion for the event and the community is at the helm.
What a sad day if this is how Savageman ends. I signed up last week for Savageman and now Kinetic will tell me I can race somewhere else. I feel like Clark Griswald when he was told the Wagon Queen Family Truckster was a damn fine automobile. 
I was in for the triple again. Looking for races as well.
From the sound of the email that is the end of the line for Savageman going forward. Really sad. Such a fantastic race and everything quintessentially good about triathlon.
That sucks if it’s true. I did the race years ago, and am grateful I got a brick when I did. Great race. Hope someone resurrects it again at some point…(is it kny or kln that used to run it?)
From the sound of the email that is the end of the line for Savageman going forward. Really sad. Such a fantastic race and everything quintessentially good about triathlon.
I think anyone who ever actually did SavageMan understood that it was not to be taken for granted, and this partially explains the rabid grassroots support that it has always had.
SavageMan was a great event. A unique event, certainly unique in North America triathlon. But it appealed to a very niche audience, a niche audience that seems to have been in steady decline since 2013 or so. And, it’s a beast of an event to manage, both in terms of labor and cost.
I don’t know the numbers or the variables that went into the decision to pull the plug. But I have no doubt this was not a decision made lightly or made purely based on dollars and profit margins. I do know that in 2010-2012 when the event was drawing 1200-1400 per year across two races it was still a barely viable endeavor motivated more by passion than financial gain, so in today’s saturated long-course environment when the same effort and cost is required yet only draws 1/3 of the old numbers and it is certainly a dubious undertaking. Yet, Kinetic was adamant to soldier on because it is an iconic event.
I believe Kinetic when they state that the straw that broke the camel’s back was not being allowed to use the state road that leads into Westernport, and thus an entirely new course was necessary, and any SavageMan course that does not use the Westernport Wall and the subsequent Big Savage Mountain would not be in the spirit of SavageMan.
Anyway, it’s a sad day for triathlon, a sad day for me even though I’ve been uninvolved now for more than half of SavageMan’s lifespan. But all good things must come to an end. Plus Thomas the Turnaround Turtle has a slow, unlocatable leak and thus couldn’t be the turnaround buoy this year for the first time in SavageMan history, so maybe that’s the signal that it was time.
Greg and Kinetic had invested a lot in the race including trying new interesting formats and a really good pro prize purse. I think they just couldn’t make the numbers work, especially after last year.
Thank you for starting it years ago. It was a gem of the mid atlantic tri scene
I believe Kinetic when they state that the straw that broke the camel’s back was not being allowed to use the state road that leads into Westernport, and thus an entirely new course was necessary, and any SavageMan course that does not use the Westernport Wall and the subsequent Big Savage Mountain would not be in the spirit of SavageMan.
Anyway, it’s a sad day for triathlon, a sad day for me even though I’ve been uninvolved now for more than half of SavageMan’s lifespan. But all good things must come to an end. Plus Thomas the Turnaround Turtle has a slow, unlocatable leak and thus couldn’t be the turnaround buoy this year for the first time in SavageMan history, so maybe that’s the signal that it was time.
I staff with Kinetic… staffed the last time we were able to have Savageman and was on staff this year to work it again. In spite of it being ‘savage’ to staff as well… I was looking forward to it. The straw was the road for sure. We’re definitely passionate about putting on quality and safe events for racers of all kinds.
Bummer about Thomas, I swam the course one evening after working and enjoyed a few jumps off. Like you said maybe an omen of sorts.
Savageman was the first 1/2 distance I ever did. At the time halfs were few and far between and Ironman had not taken over the market so completely. WTC dominated the full distance market but had not expanded so much, and it seems at the time there were more triathletes willing to do something different.
Little did I know what an awesome and epic adventure I was in for. Sadly I was injured one year for the race. I have raced Savageman every other year it was held, and was signed up for this year as well.
I am very sad it looks like the race is gone. I remember the first few years it seemed like both the parking lots were taken up by transition spots. The last time I raced only part of one was being used, it was a bit sad.
I know many triathletes who will travel far across America for the “challenge” of an m-dot race, but shy away from races like Savageman. You won’t get a PR there for sure, but was a real race.
It makes me sad that WTC seems to be killing the grassroots races that ultimately feed them.
Without races like Savageman (my first half) or the Reston Tri (my first tri ever, cancelled this year due to lack of interest) I would not have gotten into triathlon.
Thanks kny for starting one of the most epic races ever!
Kyle Y
I will be forever in your debt for allowing such a fine venue to show its colors. I loved this challenge and it was a life memory for me.
Thank you.
Plus my name is itched in brick, baby!
I’m sad to read this. Had always hoped to get a brick, after failing on my first attempt to stay upright.
This race was totally awesome, and exactly the kind of thing I have completely failed to convince my friends to sign up for.
To the OP, if you need a stand-in epic event, Survival of the Shawangunks might still have a couple of registration slots, as they were trying to back-fill for some Covid deferrals.
Sostriathlon
Thanks for the recommendation. This race looks amazing, but I think I would need to have trained very differently for this one.
Looks like I’m going to do Harryman which is one week earlier and has a similar elevation profile.
A true shame to lose this race. Certainly not a surprise given the declining numbers over the years but that email yesterday was quite the shock and not the way I envisioned the race ending. We have raced through the exact same section of road being closed by the current methods once before along with a very similar closure a mile up the road. The section was manned by a flagging crew during the race and all went smooth but I imagine MDOT said no and there wasn’t any wiggle room.
There are certainly plenty of 56 mile routes in Garrett County that would showcase Savage River and Savage Mountain but unfortunately there are limited options to get to the ‘Wall’. A real shame to because as the wall gets all of the glory and fame (rightly so) it is just a mere 60 seconds and the real beauty of that course comes afterwards in the form of relentless climbs. The wall kicks off 5000’ of climbing in just 30 miles. While any number of alternative routes (many of which are harder) could have been generated and worked this year removing the wall would’ve probably been a dagger for any subsequent years.
Living in the area this race has been a highlight of my year since it first started and lately has been the only road triathlon I would do. I loved racing on ‘home turf’ and my family and friends sure liked following the ‘show’. Many thanks to Kyle for starting Savageman! Most people will never know how much the community appreciated being showcased every September. This race created a one day spectacle in the depressed town of Westernport, spawned the Garrett County Gran Fondo, and introduced triathlon and cycling to many people that I never dreamed would be interested. Many thanks to Kyle for doing that! Kinetic also deserves thanks for keeping it alive as long as it did. I sure would’ve like to have given it one last go though…
Serious question, and I don’t know if there is a concrete answer but what makes 1500+ people sign up (at the twice the cost) for IM70.3 races but independents such as Savageman can’t break 250? Is it the destination, easier courses, all of above? It’s easy for me to say because I don’t have to but Savageman is legitimately a race I would travel to every year without question. If I scan IM 70.3’s I’m not sure I could confidently say any of them are worth doing every year.
Nothing useful to add but to say thanks for your contribution for this piece of triathlon history.
It’s been a day and I’m still grieving…so many friendships made because of savageman and so many Beck family memories at this race. As 1 of the very few that did it every year and made it up the wall I’m really wrestling with the thought that I won’t find myself trying to lumber up the wall again this September.
A few of my favorite memories…the first year it was stinking cold and there was frost on the ground. I was convinced that Kyle would cancel the swim which would be my absolute favorite Savageman ever if it were true. But we swam anyway. The run was brutal that year too, more climbing and more trail-y. That year began my run of never winning but always finishing in the top 6.
There was one year I came into transition behind Bjorn Anderrson. My dad was there and said “You’re only 15 minutes back of Bjorn!” at which point everyone else looked at him like he was crazy. I ran my guts out that year and got the run course record and closed it to 80 seconds or so by the finish.
Our boys were born while I was doing all of these Savagemans so there were many epic camping trips with newborns tossed in there. They have grown up going to this race and to Deep Creek in general.
Over the years equipment changes really changed how the race was tackled. The first year I rode a Tri bike with a 39-25 low gear. Over the years gears and bikes could be finer tuned to make it up the wall. I was going into this year with a 36-32.
The addition of Killer Miller brought some classic signage that would really make you chuckle.
There’s more but those are a few of my top the head highlights. Thanks to all that had a hand in this race. I really appreciate it!
Josh
Q: Serious question, and I don’t know if there is a concrete answer but what makes 1500+ people sign up (at the twice the cost) for IM70.3 races but independents such as Savageman can’t break 250
A: The Tattoo (pink, maybe)
IM is like Starbucks, no matter which one you go to, you know what you’ll be getting. Its consistent
Don’t mean to hijack this thread but USAT Long Course Nationals being hosted by Toughman NY on sept 25/26 is on and will have all triathlon distances: Sprint, Olympic, Swim Run, Kids and USAT Team USA qualifiers: 70.3 tri,du,Aquabike distances abs Olympic AB.
Great venue, a state park with fresh water lake swim, and great challenging bike and run courses. Post race food, beer, awards. 600 plus volunteers.
www.Toughmantri.com
A couple years back when Savageman was cancelled due to hurricanes/flooding in MD, I and others transferred to TOUGHMAN NY (and I think they were kind enough to offer a discount).
Roughly an equivalent drive between Deep Creek and Stony Point, NY for those based in the DC/NoVA area.
Though not nearly as much climbing, the bike course was nicely rolling, and I recall many of us who planned to be in MD cleaning up nicely at the awards ceremony; super nice awards given it was sponsored by JP Morgan or another big NYC bank.
Not sure how it has evolved since, but its a nice course, and I imagine the USAT championship should make the field a bit deeper and more competitive.
P.S, I deferred Savageman from 2021->2022 once I got my St. George slot; feeling a bit bad about that now, but hopeful I’ll get a crack at it next year.