Regarding the “challenges,” is this really new or just new to North America? Back when IM Switzerland was in Zürich, before moving to Thun, you’d get a special third participant award if you also did the Rapperswil 70.3 (basically at the opposite end of Lake Zürich). I wasn’t aware or didn’t recall this benefit/feature before being asked if I did Rapperswil at IM, wherein they gave me another sticker to flag that I was to get the additional medal at the end.
It happened before once or twice in the US for sure, back in the day, it's more the size & scale of what they're pushing with these N. American ones. There's a bunch of them! And I wonder if there'll be actual prizes too
Triathlon will (probably) stay triathlon. I think it's more an issue of framing, marketing, and messaging. Like, there's a reason USAT has made a concerted effort to bring as many things as they can under the multisport umbrella, and why IM is pushing so hard into trail running, and on a smaller scale why so many of the fancy tri coaches are rebranding themselves as wellness/fitness/health. Sure, maybe it'll mean offering different additional events as races, but I think it's more a question of each part of tri understanding who their potential audience really is and not defining the sport so narrowly -- ie. triathletes almost never JUST do triathlon, but even as they're doing lots of other things they still identify as triathletes. And when you look at what the younger athletes want, it's not necessarily the more formal running circles in parking lots that has traditionally defined tri.
I signed up for four 70.3s in 2022. Went 0-4 in making it to the start line. I'm hoping that 2023 brings better fortune. I would also like it if 2023 brought better cancellation/deferral policies.
Regarding the “challenges,” is this really new or just new to North America? Back when IM Switzerland was in Zürich, before moving to Thun, you’d get a special third participant award if you also did the Rapperswil 70.3 (basically at the opposite end of Lake Zürich). I wasn’t aware or didn’t recall this benefit/feature before being asked if I did Rapperswil at IM, wherein they gave me another sticker to flag that I was to get the additional medal at the end.
It happened before once or twice in the US for sure, back in the day, it's more the size & scale of what they're pushing with these N. American ones. There's a bunch of them! And I wonder if there'll be actual prizes too
Um ... Question #4 ... what are you actually saying here?
The future of tri should look like .... swimrun x skimo?
Triathlon will (probably) stay triathlon. I think it's more an issue of framing, marketing, and messaging. Like, there's a reason USAT has made a concerted effort to bring as many things as they can under the multisport umbrella, and why IM is pushing so hard into trail running, and on a smaller scale why so many of the fancy tri coaches are rebranding themselves as wellness/fitness/health. Sure, maybe it'll mean offering different additional events as races, but I think it's more a question of each part of tri understanding who their potential audience really is and not defining the sport so narrowly -- ie. triathletes almost never JUST do triathlon, but even as they're doing lots of other things they still identify as triathletes. And when you look at what the younger athletes want, it's not necessarily the more formal running circles in parking lots that has traditionally defined tri.
Semi-related ... how about organizing an underground gravel tri for your readers ;)
Hah, no problem
I signed up for four 70.3s in 2022. Went 0-4 in making it to the start line. I'm hoping that 2023 brings better fortune. I would also like it if 2023 brought better cancellation/deferral policies.
Happy New Year!
Loved looking into your crystal ball.