And there we go...WTC breaks into the Olympic Distance scene (Page 3)

Similarly, I have done either the full or half at the Mardi GRAS Marathon every year since 2002, with th price of the half around $45,. Last year the R 'n' R folks came in, gave the previous year's participants a special price of $50. I saw no positive changes in the race. This year the price for the half is $95. Looks like I won't be doing another.

(Tri Newbie here, sorry for the ignoramus questions)

Just so I understand, USAT is a governing body but WTC is a private company selling their Ironman-branded races (and now "5150" Olympic distance races). If so, how does USAT figure into WTC's races? I don't understand the relationship (or lack thereof) between these two organizations.

Also, is ITU is the sanctioning body for Tri's outside of the USA?

Same thing happened here in Philly.... RnR took over the Philadelphia Distance run (half marathon) and jacked the price way up. I had been planning on doing the Distance Run this year opted to pass on the ridiculous price tag for the RnR race....

It might go away. WTC is now adding into their contracts that NO OTHER race can compete with their race. They are adding in a 30 day window before and a 30 day window after where local gov' t can't issue permits to other races. Their is a Duathlon Series in Munice Indiana that will essential be ended if WTC gets their way with the new Munice 70.3 (purchased this year)

I think this is awesome and great for the sport. I just did LA Tri and it was $270 or something and I would gladly pay that for a race of that size and production. Venice, Olympic and Grand among other main streets in downtown LA were completely closed. You have to pay for something like that.

There are a million other cheaper races that are available for those on a budget. There will continue to be as long as there is a market for them.

I like a big stage and WTC brings that to shorter races. I'm all for it!

Walmart offers lower quality stuff for a lower price.  WTC offers [imho] a far superior product at a much higher price.

Whether the product they offer justifies the price is a matter for each individual consumer to decide.  It seems that most of this thread's participants believe it does not.  But it seems to me based on sold out races at both the 140.6 and 70.3 distances, there are plenty of consumers who think that it does.

I suspect the market will ensure that there is expensive high end races, cheaper almost as nice races, and even cheaper barely get anything races.  You get to vote with your wallet. 

I vote we all b*tch and moan about the evil company that is FORCING me to give them my credit card in a capitalist society.

Oh wow!  That's terrible.  It's bad enough that they're wanting to charge $250 for Olympics, but killing off any cheaper alternatives as well is crazy.

Edited by msteiner 2010-10-06 10:15 AM

So - here is what Hy-Vee says -
They will have two races.
 
One for the AGers (non-qualifiers) that will be priced at $150.  They expect the race to be run by and reflect the same way as the race has always been.  Registration is open now.
 
The second race will be the U.S. Championshps for the 5150 series and registration will open in early 2011.  There will be a qualification process that has not yet been disclosed (odd that you could qualify by early 2011 - but....).  The person that I talked to was not in the loop about what is being looked at for qualification, but I have got some calls in to some others that might have some inside info. 

HyVee AG will be Sunday, September 4th as will the Champioship race.  At this point they are saying that these will head out in the morning.  The guy I talked to said that they would most likely start the National Championship first (since those folks would most likely finish in the 2 to 3 hour zone) and then start the AGers - but they have to have everyone off of the course by 1 PM, becasue they will then be having another race.
 
HyVee will again be the location for the 5150 US Championship for the Elite Cup series (ITU).  The Women's division will take off first and then the Men's division will follow them. 

Another big part of this is that they will shift the HyVee triathlon back to downtown Des Moines instead of the residence in West Des Moines it has maintained for the last three years. 

A little history.  The first HyVee was held downtown and it was a great venue.  Unfortunately, the swim took place at Gray's Lake and that area tends to flood in the spring.  It was always a crapshoot trying to get the water quality in good shape by the time that HyVee rolled around.  In year two the race nearly was changed to a duathlon, but West Des Moines came through and provided a venue (I am sure the city of West Des Moines is pleased as punch about this, but they have been thrown a bone). 

Moving the date to September 4th (Labor Day weekend) allows for a time when we rarely have to deal with high water or flooding.  Even this year with way more rain than normal, we have no flooding issues. 

West Des Moines will be the sight of the HyVee Ironkids National Championship (though not in the same place as HyVee was).  That race will take place on September 17th. 

That's all my guy could tell me right now. 

Overall, I have to say that I am please4d that the price did not go up too badly (I kind of expected it to go up anyway) and that the ITU races will still be held. 

I am also pleased to return downtown, and assuming that the course is basically the same as it was in year one, will be a hillier bike and a flatter run with hills near the end (last hy-vee was basically downhill for the last mile and a half). 

I am also pleased that it would seem that, since this race is moving to Gray's Lake, that Raccoon River Park might be available in June for an industrious person that runs a Triathlon Charity to use for a race that he wants to run next year. 

Still, I would rather keep the "Ironman" name to races that are more rarely done and I am still afraid that the mass that is WTC is going to run a lot of the smaller, charity based events out of participation (like Peregrine in Waterloo). 

I wonder, with a U.S. Championship and all of the ITU athletes in town in one weekend - where the heck is everyone gonna stay??  I can't imagine that we have enough hotel rooms.  I guess I am going to be running a B&B this year for BT peeps coming to the Van Halen U.S. Championships. 

oh man this is some funny stuff.  i was just going to visit Miami International Triathlon site no wonder it was down for maintenance....


i am curious how  much i will pay for this race....$160 normally....if it goes over 200 i will have to skip it.

5 dollars.  to 160 dollars.   per my communication with the event coordinator this morning.





 

Someone more knowledgeable may correct me, but USAT, and ITU for that matter, are governing bodies for the sport. ITU was created first to help get the sport of triathlon into the 2000 Olympics and established rules, guidelines for the sport (similar to FIFA, FIBA, etc.). USAT is the United States body of ITU; similar to USA Basketball, USA Swimming, etc.
USAT sanctions WTC races, even though WTC (a private corporation) has its own set of rules, which USAT has approved of and thus will sanction their races.

lol, I was thinking that same thing. -J

If I am not mistaken, several, if not all, of these events already existed without the WTC.  The just absorbed them.

You will be assimilated.  Resistance is futile.  Your culture will be adapted to serve ours.  Your technological and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own.

John thanks for the inside info on Hyvee---ref two races!!  Sounds like decent options---of course the qualifying thing will be interesting to hear about too...

:yawn:


Really? 

I really don't see the problem.   There are still a gazillion small local races you can do.  If these awesome races that got absorbed were really all that awesome, they wouldn't have allowed themselves to be taken over.

Yup, saw this on the ST email this morning, and was the reason I went over there (first time in a long time) to check it out. THIS is the kind of stuff that gets me... the blackouts. Hey, if they want to come in and take over a race, jack up the fees, fine. I'll avoid those races. But to then remove the other options? At what point will the government step in on their attempts to create a monopoly?

So the other races move to another week/month/whatever.   Obviously IM is making it worth the local governments while to do so....and with the currents state of local economies, I don't see the problem.

when you say absorbed it really means....bought out....and the reason they were bought out is because they bring high level pros, have a great location, is an awsome race, and already has lots of racers....

i can speak from experience.  the MIT race is one i have participated for in the past 3 years.  every year they sell out and cap at 1500.....i have met Andy Potts, Matthew Reed and Chris Lieto at this race.

guess what....my fee just went up by 75%...

alternatives you say....actually there is none in south florida in March....this is the first olympic distance race of the season.....

the CHITIEST part of it all is that with the disclosure there won't be another race around the time....

When you say "bought out".....does that mean somebody "sold out"?

Just curious.

In Munice's case the Blackout will be the month of June, July and August. In May and Sept you're gambling on weather to hold an event and the entire summer is now 1 event or leave the area.

So it really just comes down to how much it will cost you right?  I mean, none of the positives you listed are going anywhere.  Is the %75 just a guess, or is that accurate?   What was it before?

My point exactly. 


I feel for you guys if it means you have one less race  in a given time period, but complaining about it on a message forum does nothing.....use your wallet instead.

I don't understand how a private company can sign a contract with the government to black out a specific type of event from being granted a permit. If I owned a smaller Triathlon company and was trying to get a permit to use a lake, and a company like WTC struck a deal with my the local government blocking my company from getting said permit, that screams antitrust to me. But, I'm not a lawyer. Any lawyers here care to chime in?