IRONMAN Pro Race Failure Leaves Fans Furious and Streaming Partnership in Question

Good morning everyone,

We’re going through a bit of a heatwave here in Boulder and although I won’t whine about it too much (more of a cold complainer myself!), I can’t deny that every stream I jogged past looked like incredibly inviting.

• So if you see me running in the next days and I look like I’ve been swimming, you’ll know why!

In today’s edition: 

• 😒 IRONMAN race coverage failure leaves fans fuming and streaming future in question.

• 🧃A secret for better, and longer hydration.

• 🤑 And how to triathlon on a budget!

Thanks for being here,

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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 Race Coverage Failure Leaves Fans Furious and Streaming Future in Question

What is it: This past weekend’s IRONMAN 70.3 Mt. Tremblant was a successful outing for race winners Paula Findlay and Lionel Sanders, but the race coverage was a massive loss for IRONMAN as production issues plagued an otherwise exciting event.

Chaotic weather: Heavy rains greeted athletes as they set up their transitions and did not relent for the rest of the day. This caused massive disruptions to the 70.3 broadcast as live coverage was almost impossible to achieve.

• When race action did become available, it was frequently obscured by the camera operator trying to dry the lens.

And those commercials: A post-race Instagram reel posted by IRONMAN that showed Sanders taking the race win was met with over 200 comments, mostly complaining about the excessive and ill-timed commercials.

• The iconic and emotional finishing celebrations of both race winners were not shown due to the pre-planned timing of commercial breaks.

Tempo’s take: I’m not sure folks are right to complain about the weather-related woes. Even during incredibly high-value productions like the Tour De France, there are broadcast issues due to weather and plenty of desperate lens cleaning during rainy stages.

But the Mt. Tremblant coverage seems to have struck a nerve with viewers. IRONMAN and their broadcast partner, Outside Interactive, are taking a massive L on this one and are facing serious heat from viewers who want improvements to production value and broadcast quality.

But does IRONMAN even care? 

Although IRONMAN can’t control the weather, they can control how they respond to these kinds of issues. And the organization, led by new CEO Scott Derue, has shown it will rapidly respond to a perceived issue.

Case in point: Quickly offering athletes free race entries after the Morro Bay 70.3 swim mayhem. 

It’s also clear IRONMAN does care about its pro offerings as they’ve invested big money and resources in the new IRONMAN Pro Series. Mostly due to serious pressure from the upstart T100 Triathlon World Tour.

• The T100 Tour has suffered from its own broadcast woes, but is now clearly ahead of IRONMAN in terms of its broadcast coverage and quality.

• So how do we think IRONMAN will respond? Expect the next few broadcasts to feature fewer commercials and better on-course coverage where possible.

Longer-term IRONMAN will need to rethink its broadcast partnership with Outside. It has already cut ties with long-time partner Active to improve its athlete data collection. By the time IRONMAN’s contract with Outside ends in 2026 it should have its own streaming platform - IRONMAN Plus (hopefully better named) - ready to go.

• But will it be commercial-free and cost $49.99 per year? Or no-fee and filled with the commercials that everyone seems to love 😘

FAVOURITES

🧃 How to hydrate better: When the temperature rises you need to respond accordingly to train and race your best. One of the best (and easiest) ways to help you nail a hard workout or race in the heat? Hydration preloading! This article shows you the benefits, and how to preload effectively. [Precision Fuel and Hydration]

🤑 Triathlon on a budget: Triathlon isn’t known for being the most budget-friendly sport. But, with a little creativity, it turns out you can make it pretty cheap! These guys got all the gear and a race entry for only £200 ($250). [GTN]

🍑 Activate your glutes: Are you getting the most out of your glutes? If they’re not firing well try this excellent glute activation exercise before your next bike or run workout! [Prehab]

😴 Improve your sleep: Improving which of these three will help you get a better night’s sleep? Physical activity, nutrition, or sleep hygiene? None of the above. According to this meta-analysis, resistance training is one of the best non-pharmacological interventions to improve your sleep!

REEL TIME

Are you looking for a new swim drill? This one can help you get a better feel for your catch, and help set up a great workout!

natashavdm81

View more on Instagram

RACE WEEKEND

IRONMAN 70.3 Mt. Tremblant

Men’s race: The return of Lionel Sanders (CAN) saw the return of Lionel Sanders to the winners circle.

• Ben Kanute (USA) mounted an epic final 10km to go from 4th to second place.

• 🥇 Lionel Sanders (CAN)

• 🥈 Ben Kanute (USA)

• 🥉 Matthew Marquardt (USA)

Women’s race: Paula Findlay (CAN) only needed 36 hours to recover from her victory at the Canadian National Time Trial Championships before she took the dominating victory in Mt. Tremblant. Tamara Jewett (CAN) threw down a 1:16 half marathon and ran herself into second place.

• 🥇 Paula Findlay (CAN)

• 🥈 Tamara Jewett (CAN)

• 🥉 Ellie Salthouse (AUS)

Shoutout to Tempo subscribers Justin Riele (USA) and Grace Thek (AUS) for their strong 4th place finishes!

Full results

Other pro races 👇

World Triathlon Para Series Swansea, Challenge Kaiserwinkl-Walchsee

QUICK NEWS

Illinois IRONMAN: Starting in 2025 athletes in the Prairie State will have their very first IRONMAN event with the recent announcement of IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford which will take place in 2025, 2026, and 2027. [Rock River Current]

First race success: The first edition of the Laveur Urban Triathlon was a success as over 400 participants took place in the French village. [La Depeche]

Kids tri incoming: The 19th annual Kerry’s Kids & Teens Triathlon will once again be held on July 6th in Goshen, Indiana. [WSBT]

Insane swim: The Yukon River is 510km long, and Britain’s Ross Edgley just swam the length of it. It took him three days, and for the entire duration he did not stop, or sleep! [220 Triathlon]

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• Build it. But will they come? The crazy story of the Triterium. 

• How did Blueseventy redesign an incredible wetsuit? Backwards shorts!

• Train your best in the heat with these PHD-approved tips!

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