Has triathlon lost it's "cool"?

A local promoter is giving up about half of their calendar next year. Numbers are down across the board.

I think the IM numbers have more to do with the number of IM races that were added to the calendar (and in some cases overlapping!). Supply exceeded demand (finally! but will we see the prices go down because of it?).

Yep. The new cool thing is the 5Ks where people throw colored corn starch at you. The times they are a changin

At best triathlon is always going to be a participant-oriented niche sport. 

Most sports go through natural popularity cycles. I'm old enough to remember golf, tennis, cycling, running, etc., going through multiple boom & bust periods.  Not to mention the four-year cycles that the Olympic sports like swimming, track & field, and gymnastics go through.  I wouldn't expect triathlon to be any different.  Just look at the downturn that golf is going through now for comparison.

If anything we've reached a saturation point with races here in FL.  I can find a race within easy driving distance just about every weekend from May through October.  Too many for the core population of triathletes to support, which is resulting in dwindling numbers at some of the events.  St. Anthony's used to be a huge event, but in recent years, not so much (even when factoring in the problems they've had with the swim). 

My observation is that the numbers in triathlon have also been artificially bloated by the "one & done" crowd.  I've said before that I'd like to have a dollar for every newbie here on BT who says they're 40lbs overweight with no athletic background but expect to get off the couch and complete an IM within a year.  They post two or three times and then you never hear from them again once they realize there's not much instant gratification when starting out in endurance sports. 

But again, that's really not any different from a lot of other sports.  How many guys drop huge bucks on a set of golf clubs ands then eventually give up the game when they realize they can't drive like Rory McIlroy after a couple of visits to the driving range?  (A friend of mine has both a $4K Trek and a $1K set of Titleist clubs rusting away in his garage.)

Mark

Speaking personally, triathlon is still, and always will be awesome. Speaking for other people, I think they would agree because of how many people I still see getting into it from the ground up. And for people that aren't involved with tri, they always seem to have a genuine interest and respect for it. I haven't seen it change in the 10 years I've been doing it.

I think it has to do with your own interest and perception about it. Triathlon is still a small sport - with a very loyal following but with most recreational sports, an individual's level interest will wax and wane.  As adults is it expected that you'll do it forever?  There's nothing that says you have to be in it forever. Or that you can't come back when the fancy strikes.  

I started with just running - i loved it.  Obsessed.  Then i started to learn to swim and got a bike and now I love triathlon. While I still do stand alone run races I have no burning desire to run another marathon any time soon, even though for a while I was on a trajectory to be one of those people who consistently do a spring/fall race.  Triathlon has me for now ... we'll see where the road goes. I just hope to stay active through my adult years

I think there are two parts at play here.

1.  The people who get into triathlon because they really enjoy it, want to compete (against others or against themselves) and want to stick with the sport long term.

2.  The people who are looking for an activity to do on their free time, and are more concerned with a fun way to stay active than actually compete.

The #1 group is pretty steady IMO.  That's why IM is still going strong...because they cater more towards the #1 group.  Your local sprints and Olys depend a little more on the #2 group than the WTC does with their IMs and 70.3s.  The #2 group now has a lot more options.  They always had 5ks and 10ks to compete with...but now they have boot camps, crossfit, color runs, warrior dash, ect.  

The local Warrior Dash gets up to 2000 participants in one day.  That's more than all the local triathlons combined that we have here.

Those may be the new "hip" thing for the weekend warrior.  All the Spartan, Warrior, and Mudder's out there doing REALLY well in terms of participation.  To be honest, did one last spring and had a blast.  I could see doing more.  I like the team aspect since it's different. 

That's not true for much of the world.......look at the crowds in Europe as an example.  I think your comment will not hold up in the coming generations here.  Granted, I spend a lot of times with kids.....but you need to know that they don't look at it the same as we do/did.  They have fantasy leagues, follow triathlon closely, and are BIG fans of the sport.  It's not the same vibe with them.....there are no "bucket listers".....these kids are players.

I'm I wrong about the TV coverage?  Maybe since I don't DVR it, I don't see it.  But they used to have a ton of tri on TV and I don't notice it anymore.

I'm not complaining.  cycle of life and all that.  I remember when beach volleyball was all the rage (I played that, and pretty well, I might add!) and they had the AVP on just about every weekend and that's now gone.  I'm sure the core group still love it, but it's lost a lot of mass appeal. 

Universal sports is starting to carry some races and you can find others if you search for it.  And yeah, being able to search with DVR seems to be the key to finding it.

Yup...Universal Sports is the key channel for triathlon.  I just set my DVR to record anything "triathlon" and often times it brings up shows that I never thought they would cover.  IM Canada, Buffalo Springs 70.3, and even some races that are not ITU or WTC related.  I would guess, over the past year, there were over 40 triathlon related events covered on that channel alone.

That could easily be it.  I used to recording anything with "triathlon" or "cycling" key words.  Still do the cycling but erase most of it except the TdF and the occasional MTB series.

As a side note, I used to always erase the ITU races.  The drafting allowance bugged the crud out of me and couldn't watch them.  Frustrating to see the better athlete not get into the lead pack and be out of it early.

No offense to the ITU guys/gals...

No doubt.   I used to feel exactly the same.....until my kids started racing and I started looking at ITU draft legal racing in a different light.  Now, that's all I want to watch.  The strategy and the racing is really cool to me, and there is a generation of young triathletes being raised on it. 

Mixed Team Relay and Grand Prix racing is the next horizon for that group.....they LOVE it.  The Jrs. are getting a GP race this year in San Diego, and some of them did the exhibition (quite well) in Milwaukee this year.  They've been doing MT Relay at the national championship races for the last 3 or 4 years.   Really fan friendly and cool to watch.

Wait.....since when have a bunch of middle aged duffers (I include myself) EVER been qualified to expound on what is cool and what isn't? 

I feel like it's on its way down in this area.  Participation in local races was starting to take a hit this year, and after this year it's likely going to get worse.  A lot of athletes in the Jackson area raced IM Chattanooga and will likely jump to new ventures while merely dabbling in triathlon.  For example I've been seeing more of them get into crossfit, which could be playing a factor.  Crossfit appears to attract more people than triathlon does.  Not trying to turn this into a crossfit vs triathlon thing, but it's definitely more popular in my area.

I personally have reached a point where my interest in triathlon as my primary sport is waning after five seasons of racing.  I've seen what I have to do to compete at a higher level, and I know what I have to do if I want to progress further and the time and desire is just not there.

I agree with the crossfit observation.  Gyms are popping up all over the place here drawing a lot people.  Maybe mostly the people wanting to get fit vs compete.

I think that has a lot to do with it.  The gyms over time are a larger investment, but the initial startup cost of triathlon can be perceived as high.  Also I feel that triathletes want to market the sport as this super tough challenge, because let's face it, a lot of people want a pat on the back for doing these things.  Crossfit on the other hand is marketed as a way for normal people to get super fit super fast, and everyone can get started TODAY!

If I never got into tri, I couldn't say that I wouldn't have at least tried it by now.  Fortunately I enjoy cycling way more (which is currently my primary exercise).

Crossfit championships fill up entire stadiums with spectators and is carried on ESPN......wtf? 

I blame swimming......most people just don't want to put in the time to get proficient in swimming.