Ironman To Charge Professionals...BIG change.

I was forwarded this link HERE to the recent changes in the professional/elite policy regarding entries into North America IM events. Currently, as an amateur, my response was, ‘Big deal, we all have to pay.” But as I ponder this more deeply, I scratch my head. I know they were probably not made in haste, but just curious as to why they were made.

Here are my primary concerns:
1. Pro/Elite fields will diminish in size. Many pro athletes register in hopes of having a ‘good day.’ Some do, some don’t. So when you look at a race like IM Cda, a pro field will be much smaller. As a result, I think it will be less exciting for the spectators and amateurs alike and will ultimately decrease the interest in the ‘race’ itself. I support the decision in giving a complementary entry to those that were in the top 3 from the prior year. I think all races should do that.

2. With the economy the way it is, I really doubt that the professional/elite athlete will pay the entry fee to do a race that they think they might ‘have a shot at.’ So rather than doing 2 or 3, they will maybe do 1. Most of these athletes are on a shoestring budget, and entry fees for IM races are huge ($500+). By doing this, they are truly turning this into an elitist sport and not affording blooming and struggling athletes the opportunity to race in such events. We have provided homestays for multiple pro/elite athletes (Tom Soderdahl, Tiina Bowman) in the past years and know that this is a tough sport and expensive.

Since they have not stated, or I have not read, why they have increased the fee, the following are just shots in the dark for solutions. But I would suspect that it comes down to a couple things. One being that people are just signing up at the last minute and are really not ‘prepared’ to race and creates headache and ultimately costs you money. Two is that it might be that they are losing too much money per athlete. Even though their entry is waived, it still costs IM money for them to race. Someone has to cover it.

Solutions:
1. Charge a reduced fee. I feel by doing this it would discourage those that would just sign up because they can. This would show some kind of investment on their part. Say like $100-$200.

2. If a pro/elite athlete does not finish a certain number of IM events that they registered for as an elite/pro, then they will be required to pay the full entry in the next event they register for. This way it would deter athletes from registering and then dropping out of the run because they are out of the prize money. I know this was a topic on a recent podcast.

There is no doubt they put on great races and truly have marketed the brand, and triathlon, well. I have paid for many IM entry fees and have never regretted it. Even last year when I registered for IM Cda and ended up racing Oly races instead. It was a donation to triathlon :). But I am not a professional triathlete, I am a teacher. The decision they are making I simply don’t truly understand and I think it penalizes athletes that are struggling as it is. I don’t know how that helps to promote triathlon or IM.

Feel free to contact Heather Fuhr regarding this (heather@ironman.com). I emailed her my concerns and she was very gracious in receiving them and passed them on to management. Take a look at the link above. And if you feel like it, email Heather. I really think that this hurts some great blooming athletes out there.