2015 season

Valens and Cambridge were dropped
PTBO is now the 70.3 Muskoka on July 5, 2015
Multisports added Georgina and dropped Binbrook which is unfortunate

I am the same - unless i do an Olympic, I am not driving 75-90+ minutes

I did the Barrelman last year and as I posted before it was an amazing race - I will do it again in 2015 as I certainly got beaten up on the run which should not have happened

Happy planning to all and to all safe training

Jean

Yes Jean, you are correct. We have dropped Binbrook and Midland/Huronia. Given the lack of support for these races and the production costs we simply could not keep the races in our line-up. If you liked races in that area why not consider Belwood?

I am glad you will be back for Barrelman! The athlete reaction to Barrelman was incredibly positive and we think we might reach the cap of 1,000 entries in 2015. At least we hope so.

If anyone has questions as to what a race costs to produce please feel free to post a question.

I should also let you know that we have moved Woodstock into June because of the cooler spring weather over the past two years. The feeling is that there is a greater likelihood of this not being an issue in June. There is also a new race on Lake Simcoe at Del La Salle Park in Georgina on September 13th. http://www.multisportcanada.com/tri/


Edited by John Salt 2014-11-19 12:10 PM

Hey - new stuff for racing is always good

Looking to try the northern circuit this summer - Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Georgina...

Stay warm

JT

Just from looking at Sportsstats 2102 Binbrook had 306 participants and 2014 only 236. At $70 a pop for the triathlon thats nearly $5000 in income lost.

I did Binbrook last year and its was fun. Quiet roads and a flat ride made it accessible for a beginner like me. Maybe Welland sprint next year.

If you want to understand the economics of the Binbrook race here is a number I think will surprise most.

The actually registration numbers were about 570 in 2013 and 400 in 2014, those numbers would include no-shows. Even at 400 registered athletes in 2014 we LOST money on this race. Some may look at those numbers try and calculate what we made in 2013 based on those registration numbers. I can tell you at 570 registered athletes it was less than $3,000 even with 170 more entries.

A great many triathletes are concerned with race fees but if you compare the level of professionalism and what you get at an MSC race to a large 10K or Half Marathon running event, the reality is triathlon race fees are very low. The cost to produce a triathlon is 3 to 5 x more than a running event, depending on the location.

I'm glad woodstock is back into June. The lake is sometimes warm enough by late May, but it isn't a guarantee. The last two (three?) years have been wetsuit mandatory because of the combined air/water temperature.

You're spoiled. I would be absolutely thrilled if there were a any kind of triathlon within 90 minutes of me.

I decided to do the Welland HIM this year. I haven't done a race in years and am terribly out of shape...add this we're posted Moscow this summer and I don't expect a great result, just a great experience.

I haven't had the chance to do a MSC event as I have been living in BC last several years and when I was in Ontario previously I was either injured or in Afghanistan instead...c'est la vie.

From all accounts MSC put on a hell of an event and I look forward to the line.

John,

The 2012 Binbrook give-it-a-try was my first race, and the '13 and '14 sprints were my season openers. I'm disappointed that I won't have a chance to keep my streak up in 2015.

But having read your explanation, I understand and support your decision to drop it from the schedule, especially if it gives you the flexibility to focus on the events that make money and therefore support the continued high quality circuit we're blessed to have here.

See you on Toronto Island. Are you going to heat the lake this year?

[Oscar]

Edited by fishwallop 2015-02-05 7:16 PM

Thanks for your kind words Oscar.

We have tried for 14 years to produce the best race series possible. Support like yours and from others has helped us become the biggest series in Canada. The reality is, if people knew what the series makes they might think we are crazy for continuing, We do it, in large part because we love what we do and the ability to give athletes good venues.

We actually care what you think and is one of the reasons you see MultiSport Canada on forums like this.

John,

I'm a local guy and have done 10+ of your races over the last 4-5 years.

My brothers and I were quite curious as to why the binbrook and valens drop as well. We host running event each year (for 2 years now, this is year 3) and I can't imagine the logistics and organization required for a triathlon event. I do truly appreciate how much detail must go into the swim and bike sections of it. I also completely appreciate the registration fee for triathlons compared to running events - can't compare the two, triathlons are just much more involved and challenging to organize.

Thanks for the explanation.

Also - the barrel man triathlon was a good introduction, it fits well especially now with the muskoka 70.3 moved to July.

Also, also - I commend you for being so open and honest. Well done John.

See you around this year.

Jason

Edited by Jpro19 2015-02-22 8:59 AM

Hey Jason,

Thanks for taking the time to voice your thoughts and being supportive. I can't common on the other series' Valens race other than to note the numbers were low against the expenses I could assume were associated with a race in that part of the world.

I can tell you that the Binbrook race was one we invested in for many years, in the hope that more athletes would support it by registering. It is a funny thing but the post-race survey results told us that athletes loved the race, would return and tell their friends. This just did not happen. While there was some incremental growth, it was never that good. In fact, we barely made any money on this race and then in 2014 lost money, which we cannot do and survive as a company. The expenses related to providing athletes with a quality event are significant. A lot of athletes see the race site and courses and feel they have an understanding of expenses. In discussing this with athletes my experience is that most are so far off base. Generally they do not factor in police and medical coverage costs, which in the case of Binbrook, is in excess of $7,000.

I take the time to visit forums like this because I care what athletes think and want to educate when I can and it is requested. It is very gratifying when people like you (and others) come here and provide such positive feedback and understanding. Please say hi when you race with us this summer.

ALSO....stay tuned for an announcement for a change in the Barrelman swim which will now include bleacher seating for spectators.

I for one am stoked about Georgina. I've done at least 1 MSC race each year since 2006, and this one is 100% on my want to do list this year.
I also want to try K-town (I missed as it conflicted w/ Calgary 70.3)
Now that I'm east of the city, I'm happy to see that MSC is distributing their races more evenly around the GTA.