Outside of a good Kona payday, it is next to impossible to make a living on Ironman prize money.
For the love of the sport ?
fringe sport =fringe purses
.
Pro ironman triathletes make their money off endorsements. Read the triathlon magazines, not many ads featuring anyone but WTC winners. ITU guys can make money racing well and often.
You are supposed to get paid based on revenue you are creating for whoever is writing your check. The only athlete I have witnessed attract people to register for and spectate a certain race was Lance. Look at the TV coverage of Kona, the largest single race in triathlon. It’s primarily of inspiration stories with some mention of the Elite races.
Outside of a good Kona payday, it is next to impossible to make a living on Ironman prize money.
http://www.trirating.com/…;utm_campaign=buffer
You could say the same thing about most of the athletes at the Olympics. The majority are broke, the majority won’t win a medal, the majority won’t get major sponsorships, the majority will be forgotten by the middle of March. But they still do it.
Love of the sport.
Plus there are other race series that offer bigger payouts and they can race those as well. That list only shows WTC races but Rinny as an example also made some coin at a few Rev3 races. It also excludes sponsorship money, money for appearances, etc…
Because racing that distance is fun as heck and it’s a lot cheaper to pay once for a full years worth of races.
Yep, for example Caroline would be near the top (if not at the top) if you factor in her victories at MetaMan, Roth, 2nd at Abu Dhabi, etc…, all non-WTC races.
Especially when you consider that most ITU pros get national funding.
how much $$ do you typically make at the events you enter? i’d guess it’s $0 or close to it. so why do you bother?
you’re presuming that the majority of pros racing an ironman are doing so, to make a living.
how much $$ do you typically make at the events you enter? i’d guess it’s $0 or close to it. so why do you bother?
you’re presuming that the majority of pros racing an ironman are doing so, to make a living.
There are a lot that take photo’s of their bikes when I’m at work. And they aren’t.
Successful pros make the vast majority of their money from sponsors not prize purses. Don’t know why this question keeps coming up.
There are a lot that take photo’s of their bikes when I’m at work. And they aren’t.
so apparently they’re doing something right.
There are a lot that take photo’s of their bikes when I’m at work. And they aren’t.
so apparently they’re doing something right.
Born into good families.
I know of 2 professionals that are good. As in B/C grade professional. Will never win an IM but certainly can go top 5-15 at races.
Both have families they are funding them and have done so for about 5 years.
Born into good families.
I know of 2 professionals that are good. As in B/C grade professional. Will never win an IM but certainly can go top 5-15 at races.
Both have families they are funding them and have done so for about 5 years.
so then why are you asking a question that you already know the answer to?
Pro ironman triathletes make their money off endorsements. Read the triathlon magazines, not many ads featuring anyone but WTC winners. ITU guys can make money racing well and often.
There are triathlon magazines? I think one just bit the dust last week.
Because, at least for me, it’s been incredibly rewarding in a lot of non-financial ways and - thankfully - has been financially rewarding enough to support a family while doing something I really enjoy.
It took me 8 years to roughly match what I could have made my first job out of college, at a job that I turned down for another job that I thought I’d enjoy more (still not sure of that; since I quit that first job after a year) but where I made less. Still took 8 years to match that salary. Took six years (and two Ironman wins) to get into a place where I actually was supporting myself.
And, yet, when I sat down with my college roommate for a lunch in 2011 - he’s a ForEx trader in NY and who probably made (and still makes) exponentially more than I do - he said, “I just get this feeling like I haven’t really done anything with my life. Like, not only would no one buy a book about my life, I don’t even think I could write one. You could…”
What’s that worth? I dunno. It’s something. That said, I do wish that more pros could make their living in the sport. I hope that both the way in which I’ve managed my career and also some of the work that I’m doing might help some folks to realize that for themselves.
What’s that worth? I dunno. It’s something. That said, I do wish that more pros could make their living in the sport. I hope that both the way in which I’ve managed my career and also some of the work that I’m doing might help some folks to realize that for themselves.
An intangible like that is worth A LOT and shouldnt be underestimated. Success in life isn’t measured by your bank account. Like your friend, I have that same empty feeling and will always be jealous of someone like you.
I wouldn’t mind doing it as a side thing as a low-level pro who comes in last. I’ve been getting reasonably proficient as an amateur over the past few years (under 5 hrs IM bike split/high 2:30s open marathon) and suspect I might start squeezing into the top 8% thing this season. I have a great work schedule at my real job where it’s zero stress, I’m only physically in the office a few days a week, and make low-ish six figures (government job). So luckily I have the time to train 15-20 hours a week and sleep lots. I think it would be cool to grab my pro card at some point for novelty value while I’m young and before kids come along.
Its called living the dream. You see it in a lot of sports. The only people who might choose professional sport as a viable income source are young people with exceptional talent. Even then, they are often choosing to delay college and they must weigh various opportunity cost to live an interesting life style.
Besides everything everyone else already said, plenty of people are still lining up to do it. It’s not like they’re doing a public service, so I don’t understand the feeling around here that they need to be paid more.