"Running and Triathlon are sports with a connect between the amateurs and professionals. They are community sports." Source
On August 30, 2013 Competitor Group*, promoters of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, announced that effective immediately they would no longer be supporting elite athletes in North America. The group would no longer pay appearance fees, travel and lodging expenses for elite athletes, although modest prize money will continue to be offered at events. The $475k in yearly savings will be used in other areas of the business venture. This weekend's Philly Distance Run - err, the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon - will be the first race affected by the decision. You can find the original report here.
In making this decision, Competitor Group has clearly indicated that the front of the race is of little importance to management, and they believe the people who run their races could care less about who wins.
Implied in that decision is also the idea that those at the pointy end of the race do not care about the masses. Being around the running community for almost 20 years and the triathlon community for 10 years I find these ideas to be bogus.
My problem with this decision comes down to the following issues:
Show Me the Money!!! Competitor Group is owned by Celera Capital, a private equity firm. The purpose of private equity is to make as much money as possible for the investors in a the private equity firm. It is very fair to ask as simple question: will the $475k in "savings" go back into the race, the experience, the amenities for the runners or will the money simply go into the deep pockets of the private equity ownership of Competitor Group?
To say I am skeptical that the money will be recycled back into my experience would be a huge understatement. Competitor Group has grown their events to ridiculously large fields of participants that make race day logistics a challenge. They have done this while substantially increasing the fees one pays to enter their events. The
Assuming Competitor Group plans on enhancing the race day experience, how would they do it? Beats the hell out of me is the short answer. Put more bands out on the race course? More volunteers on race day? Better catering of the post-race food line? Bigger finishers medals? If anything, they overproduce their events now. They could reduce the entry fees ... yea, like that's going to happen.
And what About the Legacy of the Races Competitor Group Purchased? When I race I want to race. I'm not the fastest, but I want to be able to run MY fastest on that given day. The race experience for myself and many more just like me, is about going out and running my hardest (or swim/bike/run in a triathlon) without someone shooting colored cornstarch at me, chasing me with zombies, or running through mud and man-made obstacles. I also don't need a band playing at every mile. If you want to put one there, whatever, I cannot control that.
With a race like the Philly Distance Run, which was first run in 1978, you have an event with great history and some incredible running. In 2005, for example, Deena Kastor broke the woman's U.S. 1/2 marathon record that had stood for 20 years on those Philadelphia streets. I remember it because I was there running on that day. I also remember being there a few days after 9/11 happened in 2001. The Philly Distance Run was the only sporting event that day anywhere in the USA. You take away a robust elite field and you take away the possibility of greatness occurring out on the race course, making it just another race.
What About the Affect on Elite Running and Triathlon? Running and triathlon are niche sports. But they are sports that I, and many, many others follow, and actually care about who is at the front of the race. Maybe they think of running as a sport people only care about every four years when the Olympics roll around, but that is simply not true. One of the reasons I like doing a big city race is you are out there with these amazing athletes giving it their all, showing what can be done. More important than me, the elite runners and triathletes have lost a source of funding, which is not easy for all but the very best. The long term affect on athlete development is not helped any by this decision.
If Competitor Group won't support the elite athletes it is obvious that they don't care about the sport. If they don't really care about the sport, it makes sense that they are simply in it for the money. If they are in it for the money, everyone suffers ... except, of course, the executives and shareholders of Competitor Group. See, it's about the money so they will continue to oversell events, continue increasing entry fees, and making the experience more like Wal Mart and less like your local retailer.
As for me, I will be running the Philly Distance Run ... excuse me, the RnR 1/2 Marathon ... this weekend as I have for many, many years. It doesn't really fit in my schedule but I have always liked the race so I make it fit. Next year, I'm not so sure. The Gap Gallop has moved to the same weekend and Rev3 Pocono Mountains will be the same weekend as well in 2014. So with such nice options available from both my local bike club and a group that really cares about its athletes and their experience, Sunday may be my last trip down to Philly on the second Sunday in September.
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* Competitor Group is the publisher of books and magazines related to athletes and athletics, including Velo Press. Many of you receive their magazines which include Inside Triathlon, Triathlete, Velo Magazine and Women's Running. They have also become big in the events arena with the TriRock Series of triathlons, the Muddy Buddy Adventure Series, and a newer women's running series. Some of the events they have developed on their own, but many have been purchased from other organizers. The owner is a Celara Capital, a private equity firm and NOT an athlete owned entity.
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