Malibu Mayhem Sends Super League to Long Beach

Good morning everyone,

The Tempo office has temporarily moved to Southwest Florida for the holidays which has certainly made cycling outdoors a lot more pleasant. Although I thought my time here would be more laidback, an opportunity to travel and compete in one of the most iconic races in South America could not be missed!

At least it’s a good excuse to burn through a few more holiday cookies 😉

In today’s edition:

• 🏖️ Super League heads down the 405 to Long Beach.

• 😴 Key sleep insights for better recovery.

• 🚨 And is there a good kind of inflammation?

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

Amidst Malibu Mayhem, SLT Pivots to LBC

What is it: Long Beach, California is home to the RMS Queen Mary, Snoop Dogg, and now, a Super League Triathlon-organized race. According to a press release, the triathlon startup will assume the operation of the Long Beach Legacy Triathlon (LBLT).

• The Legacy Triathlon was founded by USA Triathlon in 2021 to build multisport hype ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

• As in previous years the event will take place on the proposed 2028 Olympic course.

Background: Since 2020 Super League Triathlon has made significant purchases of iconic U.S. triathlon races including The Malibu Triathlon (2020), and the Chicago and New York City Triathlons (2023).

• But as reported recently, the previous owner of The Malibu Triathlon (who sold it to Super League) Michael Epstein, decided to apply for the only triathlon permit made available by the City of Malibu.

• Spoiler alert - the city council recommended awarding it to him, essentially shutting down Super League’s event.

• However, the decision on who will run the only Triathlon in Malibu has been pushed back to January 11th.

Greener pastures: With this partnership, Super League has an opportunity to remain in a high-value U.S. market while hedging against the (strong) possibility of losing its race in Malibu.

• Which may end up being for the best. According to one Tempo subscriber, “you can’t have a race where you’re not wanted…the Malibu community doesn’t want any racing anyways.”

Tempo’s take: Back in September I was one of the dedicated viewers of the pivotal Malibu City Council YouTube feed that decided whether the event would take place after the Tidewater Gobi controversy. 

• I thought that a race that promoted health, community, and raised over a million dollars for Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles would be a slam dunk… wrong.

• The decision was filled with politicians grandstanding on technicalities around the timing of the application, and desperately trying to prevent a positive community event from occurring.

With the city council effectively giving Epstein the green light for future triathlons in Malibu it was wise for Super League to head down the 405 to Long Beach.

Since USA Triathlon and, effectively, the U.S. Olympic committee backing the race, Super League should have smooth sailing through 2028 and we would expect this race to become a Triathlon Major in no time.

FAVORITES

📢 Sodaro speaks: Before she won the Ironman World Championships, Chelsea Sodaro (USA) had to battle post-partum depression. She goes deep into her struggles and doesn’t hold back on this incredibly compelling interview with Rich Roll. [Rich Roll]

😴 Sleep well: We all know sleep is critical to performance (and life!) but it’s not always easy to get quality sleep. This article has some key insights on how to improve sleep. The screen time suggestion is staring us in the face 😬 [Run247]

🔥 Inflammation information: Folks on TikTok like to tell us that inflammation is bad. But of course, it’s a lot more nuanced than that! So what is the difference between good and bad inflammation? And how can we manage it? [Live Science]

👏 Incredible cause: The Challenged Athletes Foundation has raised over $159 million for those with physical disabilities. This video celebrates 30 years of the foundation as it hosted its first-ever event, The San Diego Triathlon Challenge. [Triathlon Magazine Canada]

💉 Age group doping: How prevalent is doping in age group triathlon? This study aims to find out what many suspect is a major problem. [CAL State Fullerton]

REEL TIME

🎵 There’s something about this beat (that gives us workout PTSD!) 🎵

la_triathlete

View more on Instagram

This sport gives (a great physique) and it takes (your wallet’s contents) 🤣

mnewton722

View more on Instagram

QUICK NEWS

🚀 PTO grows: The Professional Triathletes Organization announced that it would “at least double” its flagship PTO Tour events in 2024. On the delay of race announcements, CEO Renouf says, “Several [host locations] are requiring further government approval before being announced.” [PTO]

Tempo’s take: We’re old enough to remember when the PTO Tour was going to be at least 8-10 races expanding a “season-long narrative.”

• Delaying these race announcements would be fine if it was just pros competing. But when age groupers are supposed to be a pillar of the business delaying doesn’t seem like the best strategy!

🤠 Cochrane challenge: An early bird discount is still available for Cochrane, Alberta’s Footstock 2024 which includes a kid’s triathlon. [Cochrane Now]

💪 Comeback trail: Hong Kong’s Bailee Brown will be chasing a spot at the Paris Olympics after nearly quitting the sport. [SCMP]

🏁 Nouvelle course: Challenge Family has announced its second Canadian race in 2024 as it has purchased the iconic Espirit Triathlon of Montreal. [Endurance.biz]

🌊 Morro Bay corrections: Some Morro Bay business owners weren’t happy with the Ironman event this year, so the city has made changes for 2024 and beyond. [KSBY]

🇹🇹 Tri Trini: The Trinidad and Tobago Triathlon Federation is trying to get more Tobagans involved - by hosting a coaching certification course. [News Day]

WEEKEND RACES

What Were Your Favourite Races?

There aren’t any more pro races in 2023, so it’s time to reflect on an incredible season of triathlon.

What was our favourite race? Lucy Charles-Barclay’s incredible wire-to-wire win at the 2023 Ironman World Championships.

• It was an absolutely dominating performance as she led the swim, extended her lead on the bike, and ran to victory (through a painful achilles injury).

• And in the context of her serious midseason stress fracture it is even more legendary. 

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• Why spirulina will make you faster.

• How to train in the heat - from a PhD.

• With recent deaths in the sport, how safe is triathlon?

LATEST EDITIONS

• Why more carbs will help your training today…and tomorrow!

• Multisport World Championship host cities announced, and a fueling guide for training. 

• Super League snaked by duplicitous director?