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IRONMAN Hopes Data Drive Turbocharges Profit

IRONMAN's new push for data, training your gut, and TT vs road bike?

Author

Matthew Sharpe
March 19, 2024

Good morning everyone,

A bit late here getting this one done. Some days after training hard I’m kind of wired and get into the writing zone, other days, it’s like trying to navigate a brain of sludge.

Today was a little sludgy, but it looks like we made it to your inbox in time!

In today’s edition: 

  • 💾 IRONMAN hopes drive for data renews revenue.

  • ⛽ Can you train your gut to take in more fuel?

  • ⏱️ And can you split your training between different bikes?

Thanks for being here,

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Headshot of Matt Sharpe

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free. 

ONE BIG THING

IRONMAN Introduces Digital Dashboard with Hopes of Improved Insights and Robust Revenue

IRONMAN

What is it: Last week IRONMAN launched its “My IRONMAN” digital dashboard. The it says is to, “aim[s] to improve the overall athlete experience.” Highlights of the new athlete dashboard include:

  • Current and historical view (since 2017) of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race results and personal stats.

  • Training resources for upcoming events.

  • TriClub affiliation management, and a simple one-click TriClub joining process.

Data hungry: According to IRONMAN, the streamlined athlete portal is part of “improving the athlete experience,” and helps “athletes get the most out of their IRONMAN journey with ease and accessibility.” It also provides IRONMAN with an opportunity to collect more and enhanced data on its athletes.

In an exit interview with Triathlete Magazine, longtime IRONMAN CEO Andrew Messick spoke of the organization’s lack of “a database” of athletes and how its future is about “how many customers [IRONMAN] has and how good they are at retaining them.”

  • Messick also signaled that IRONMAN’s future would require more customer-centricity, updated IT systems, and different marketing approaches.

Deactivated: The announcement also mentioned that the new My IRONMAN dashboard would provide a “simplified race registration process for 2025 events.”

  • Currently, IRONMAN runs its race registration via a third party - active.com - a large-scale SAAS company that offers participant and activity management.

  • It would appear that IRONMAN will be taking its race registration process in-house.

Tempo’s take: This announcement was a little under the radar, but gives huge indications of IRONMAN’s future and how it is looking to engage with its athletes. By collecting more granular data, it will have more information to make decisions on potential race locations, race formats, and how to get you to spend more with IRONMAN! (Haha sorry, we mean how to better optimize your experience 😘)

  • As a media entity that also collects data on its audience so we can improve our newsletter (shoutout to our subscribers who filled out our welcome survey 🙌) having as many data points as possible really does help guide business decisions.

I dutifully went through the My IRONMAN onboarding data collection process. It was less cumbersome than expected and had some standout questions including:

  • Activities participated in including triathlon, road running, road cycling, trail running, and mountain biking.

  • What brand of bike, running shoe, wetsuit, and sports watch.

  • And if the athlete was “looking for a coach.”

IRONMAN has a full portfolio of endurance events that it owns including the Rock and Roll Running Series, the UTMB trail running world series, and the Epic Series Mountain Bike Races. If they know athletes are interested in racing triathlons and have deeper insights into their racing preferences, then surely they could be convinced to compete in more mass participation endurance events.

Owned by IRONMAN, of course.

Are you racing and IRONMAN-branded events?

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FAVOURITES

Train your gut: Yes, you CAN train your gut to take on more carbohydrates which could help you race faster and recover quicker. But to successfully do it takes time, and a solid plan. [Precision Fuel & Hydration]

TT vs road bike: So maybe you just got your first TT bike, and you’re wondering how much time you should spend on it vs. your road or mountain bike? The video explains how you should break down your training between bikes. The short answer - keep specific efforts on that TT bike! [GTN]

V02 max and lifespan: Olav Alexander Bu is the mastermind behind “The Norwegian Method” which is the training philosophy used by Olympic Champion Kristian Blummenfelt, and IRONMAN Champion Gustav Iden. In this video Bu sits down with Dr. Peter Attia to discuss how to measure peak performance, why VO2 max can predict lifespan, and so much more. The conversation is over 2 hours! [Dr. Peter Attia]

Claire’s chance: Claire Cashmore is a two-time paratriathlon world champion looking for gold at the Paris Paralympics. But she’ll have to take down serious rivals and navigate dodgy water quality. [TRI247]

ONE GOOD TEXT

One Good Text With Allan Prazsky: Supporting Race Directors With Volunteer Incentives

In a text to The Tempo, Allan Prazsky, the Executive Director of Triathlon BC, explained why their newly launched Age Group Race Series will award points to athletes who race AND volunteer.

“Race Directors' are the unsung heroes of our sport - whatever we can do (collectively) to help events stay on the radar is a good thing.  As costs continue to increase, we're seeing increasing pressure on community events; traffic planning, permitting, equipment, and everything events-related has seen a substantial increase coming out of COVID.  Creative solutions - bonus series points for volunteering - is a simple value-add that we can provide the race directors to lessen their burden come race day.

The best part is, that some of these race day volunteers will become legacy fixtures at their chosen event.”

Allan Prazsky - Executive Director of Triathlon BC

REEL TIME

This guy is training for a triathlon on an offshore oil rig! 🤯

WHAT YOU SAID

Here’s what Tempo readers had to say about IRONMAN’s new rules for 2024.

Reader: The rule changes are ridiculous. So as an age grouper, I can't use tape between my aero bars but a $1000+ bespoke carbon fiber cockpit that has the same benefit and similar look is completely okay? It makes no sense.

Reader: All great changes!

Reader: 5 minute penalty for careless littering outside the trash disposal area? What is “careless”? As a well-meaning, environmentally conscious, competitive age grouper, I always try to deposit all trash within the trash disposal zone. But MANY times the zone is too small to deposit trash within the zone due to the congestion of cyclists all trying to get nutrition while depositing bottles and gel packs at the same time, being mindful of other cyclists, avoiding causing an accident, drafting (?), etc. I can’t tell you how many times my water bottle rolled outside the trash deposit zone. This rule needs to be modified and made much more clear.

Reader: Read the rules. Zipper and bottle down the top rules are pretty straightforward. Still confused about what is legal and not legal. BTA systems are legal? Which ones are and which ones are not. BTS water mounts/storage containers/wings are legal. Which ones? If it came with the bike and is integrated is it automatically acceptable and legal?

Tempo: This is especially unclear for a lot of pro triathletes who make these kinds of modifications!

Reader: I'd like them to provide reasoning for the bottle down the top and the no taping rule... They aren't dangerous in any way and they are accessible to all. They haven't made the race course any safer in doing so. Some clarification behind 'why' would be great. The other rule changes or amendments 'make sense' - these two do not...

Reader: These changes need to be made at the BEGINNING of the season - not halfway through. F1 has a clear set of equipment 'rules' which all teams then have to try and manipulate to get the fastest car. I have literally just watched a video from Joe Skipper who has just been to the wind tunnel (at some considerable personal cost) to gain those extra aero gains, only then to be told that the 'goal posts' have been changed - you could not make this sh1t up!

RACE WEEKEND

World Triathlon Para Series Devonport, Australia

IRONMAN 70.3 Campeche, Mexico

Africa Games Triathlon

QUICK NEWS

 Crazy helmet: This cycling helmet looks absolutely insane, which is why you’ll probably see it on a race course soon. [Triathlon Magazine]

Congrats Sarah: Highly decorated pro triathlete Sarah Crowley (AUS) is hanging up her hat after a distinguished career that included landing on the podium at the IRONMAN World Championships. [Tri247]

Farmer’s fight: This young farmer is training for a triathlon, and trying to raise awareness of mental health issues that are rampant in the industry. [Suffolk News]

Mighty Moroccan: Morocco’s Badr Siwane captured silver at last weekend’s all-Africa Games in Accra, Ghana. [MSN]

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE
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