Branded event worth it? (Page 2)

Have fun in Boulder!

And apologies if I hijacked your thread. I looked at threads about "branded vs non-branded" before I chose Waconia, and what I realize in retrospect is that most of the branded vs non-branded discussion focuses on soft stuff -- do you like big crowds or a more intimate feel, are the aid stations a veritable cornucopia or provide the bare minimum, do you want to pay a couple hundred bucks more or not, how awesome are the post-race activities and so forth.

IMO, those are all secondary issues.

Water safety support, safety of bike route and run route -- THAT is what's critical. And there ARE differences between IM events and at least some non-branded events in some of these areas, from what I've seen myself and what I've heard since my DNF.

Thanks! And no apology is necessary. IMO Great information that may have never been brought comes out letting discussions wonder where they may. So with that said I hope my making a choice doesn't shut the conversation down.

Ironman Racine 70.3 turned into a duathlon because of rough conditions on Lake Michigan. From what I have seen posted by athletes, it was the right move.

I just volunteered on the swim start at the full Ironman Cd'A last Sunday. The amount of water safety personnel in kayaks / paddle boards / jet skis and boats / shoreline volunteers was incredible. To be fair, I have done local sprint triathlons here in Cd'A with equal focus on water safety. It makes you feel good as an athlete out in the water.

Edited by HaydenHunter 2016-08-23 10:42 PM

I have yet to do a branded race, but my first 70.3 earlier this year was a non-branded and I spent hours spectating at our local non-branded 140.6 this past weekend. With that being said, I am glad that my first 140.6 race will be an actual Ironman event. Our local race is put on by wonderful people and is a fun race, but you can't beat the atmosphere of an Ironman finish line.