Is there any money in triathlon now???? Hy-Vee

tunney

http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Hy-Vee_pulls_the_plug_on_triathlon_4882.html

Hy-Vee traditionally paid big and deep. Does any race have a decent paycheck in it now for pros?

mossym

seems like the purses getting smaller and smaller for the pros. i actually feel for them. However, i do have issues with the pro scene in general. it seems to me there are way too many pro's on the scene, and too easy to switch over. Few decent results as an Ager, then turn pro. then you have all the moaning about how hard it is for a pro to make a living.

you want a strong healthy pro scene, but like any market it will have to reach a state of equilibrium. too much drain on the resources(prize money) and they'll get rarer. this is going to force a lot of those that aren't really good enough to be pro's out of the game, fewer pro's racing, more money for those left, it'll balance out.

just cause you love something, doesn't necessarily mean you have a right to make a living from it

pointer28

mossym wrote: »

just cause you love something, doesn't necessarily mean you have a right to make a living from it

+ 1,000

Absolutely couldn't possibly agree any more with this statement.

We need to stop rewarding mediocrity, I'm involved in another sport professionally as a technical official and I can see standards dropping all the time and the same sport going down the toilet because of this attitude.

joey100

What about the 3 challenge races, Dubai, Bahrain and Oman. Nice prize purse for these but not sure how they fit into other races like Kona. Not sure how long they will be around either, think I seen on the internet that one of the royal family is into tri out there and he's one of the main people behind this. Might all change if he stopped doing them.

Tom__JNR

pointer28 wrote: »

+ 1,000

Absolutely couldn't possibly agree any more with this statement.

We need to stop rewarding mediocrity, I'm involved in another sport professionally as a technical official and I can see standards dropping all the time and the same sport going down the toilet because of this attitude.

What are you on about?

Anyway...

Kona still pays nicely (for triathlon).
You will find few races in Europe with 5000e for the winner (70.3 and IM).
Not sure what ITU is paying....

tunney

Tom__JNR wrote: »

What are you on about?

Anyway...

Kona still pays nicely (for triathlon).
You will find few races in Europe with 5000e for the winner (70.3 and IM).
Not sure what ITU is paying....

5000e for the winner..........

Hy-vee used to pay $200,000 each to the mens and womens winners.

Kona pays €120,000 to the winners and only pays ten deep

Dublin 70.30 has a total prize pot of $15,000 and $3,000 for the winners and pays five deep with fifth getting $500

There is no money in IM
http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/pro-membership/event-registration.aspx#axzz3RRoHC8ER

mloc123

I did laugh at 5k... it wouldn't even cover travel expenses.

peter kern

Few decent results as an Ager, then turn pro. then you have all the moaning about how hard it is for a pro to make a living.

before writng nonsene like this you are aware that most people turn pro as it is easeir to enter races when they want to and most pros ( ie above 50% work full time)

Iam not saying that there is no truth in your comment but most pros are at an higher level than your gaa guys that get everythign paid for.

Support for good triathletes is way bellow than in most other sports
in germany some guys get money playing in the 2nd lowest league soocer ( thats with half the team having fat beer bellies)

i think there is a difference whinning aobut not making a living and whinning being better that most other people in sports that have no cost doing it being at alower level.
by racing pro at least you have some tax adavantages.

and yes pros cant get a union up and wonder why they get fecked around

mloc123

peter kern wrote: »

Few decent results as an Ager, then turn pro. then you have all the moaning about how hard it is for a pro to make a living.

before writng nonsene like this you are aware that most people turn pro as it is easeir to enter races when they want to and most pros ( ie above 50% work full time)

Iam not saying that there is no truth in your comment but most pros are at an higher level than your gaa guys that get everythign paid for.

Support for good triathletes is way bellow than in most other sports
in germany some guys get money playing in the 2nd lowest league soocer ( thats with half the team having fat beer bellies)

i think there is a difference whinning aobut not making a living and whinning being better that most other people in sports that have no cost doing it being at alower level.
by racing pro at least you have some tax adavantages.

and yes pros cant get a union up and wonder why they get fecked around

It is the same old complaint as cycling Peter... much tougher sport than football and they get paid peanuts etc..

But... they knew this when they got into it. Yes, football pays more but that is because it is a multi billion professional sport with many more fans, sponsors etc..

It is like somebody complaining that manual labour is a much tougher profession than IT and that it isn't fair they are paid less.

Tom__JNR

mloc123 wrote: »

I did laugh at 5k... it wouldn't even cover travel expenses.

You don't pay anything....the org flys you for free and cover all expenses.
5k after tax for 4hrs is laughable indeed.

tunney

peter kern wrote: »

Few decent results as an Ager, then turn pro. then you have all the moaning about how hard it is for a pro to make a living.

before writng nonsene like this you are aware that most people turn pro as it is easeir to enter races when they want to and most pros ( ie above 50% work full time)

Iam not saying that there is no truth in your comment but most pros are at an higher level than your gaa guys that get everythign paid for.

Support for good triathletes is way bellow than in most other sports
in germany some guys get money playing in the 2nd lowest league soocer ( thats with half the team having fat beer bellies)

i think there is a difference whinning aobut not making a living and whinning being better that most other people in sports that have no cost doing it being at alower level.
by racing pro at least you have some tax adavantages.

and yes pros cant get a union up and wonder why they get fecked around

The big difference about the GAA and expenses is demand. In that there is one.

I can set up a company selling chocolate kettles or inflatable dartboards. Just because I *can* do this doesn't mean I should, nor does it entitle me to complain about the lack of money I make because no one wants my products.

I do think Hy-Vee going is a bad thing. I suspect the late 90s and 00s will be looked back at as the "golden era" of pro triathlon (and indeed AG)

mloc123

Tom__JNR wrote: »

You don't pay anything....the org flys you for free and cover all expenses.
5k after tax for 4hrs is laughable indeed.

4 hrs? So you train, fly in, race and fly home within 4 hrs? 5k is laughable.

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

It is the same old complaint as cycling Peter... much tougher sport than football and they get paid peanuts etc..

But... they knew this when they got into it. Yes, football pays more but that is because it is a multi billion professional sport with many more fans, sponsors etc..

It is like somebody complaining that manual labour is a much tougher profession than IT and that it isn't fair they are paid less.

5.x billion in Football TV rights. AFAIK the ITU have to give their footage away?

tunney

Tom__JNR wrote: »

You don't pay anything....the org flys you for free and cover all expenses.
5k after tax for 4hrs is laughable indeed.

So it *used* to be.
So it *used* to be.

Enduro

Do you all not think there are some big advantages to having less (or no) ability to make a living from your sport?

- more level playing field as everyone needs to earn their crust outside of the sport
- Taking PEDs have no financial gain (in fact, they'll cost you money), so likely to be less pervasive in the sport
- more likely that everyone is doing the sport for the joy of it, rather than slogging it out to get the paycheck, which is likely to lead to a better atmosphere.

From the outside looking in, I'd say the gains outweigh the losses.

mossym

peter kern wrote: »

Few decent results as an Ager, then turn pro. then you have all the moaning about how hard it is for a pro to make a living.

before writng nonsene like this you are aware that most people turn pro as it is easeir to enter races when they want to and most pros ( ie above 50% work full time)

and why do they have to, because they don't make enough. there isn't enough prize money to go around. too many pro's sharing too small a purse.

if an athlete turns pro to get easy access to races and works full time, then they're unlikely to be the ones moaning about not making a living from it. looks more like they are the ones that knew it was going to be a tough ride and willing to work around it.

peter kern wrote: »

Iam not saying that there is no truth in your comment but most pros are at an higher level than your gaa guys that get everythign paid for.

bigger fish in a smaller sea. that's an unbelievably weak argument. how many of the people that line the streets of roth and other tri's would still be there if they had to pay to watch? the other sports are more marketable, better supported, more popular. they have more income. if you think that's not the case charge people to watch races. split the money between the racers. do you think you'll have a large amount to pay them?

the other argument is that if that they are truly at a higher level, and could earn more money playing football, then why don't they? or is it that their talents lie in an area for which there is just not enough rewards?

peter kern wrote: »

Support for good triathletes is way bellow than in most other sports
in germany some guys get money playing in the 2nd lowest league soocer ( thats with half the team having fat beer bellies)

marketable skills. or luck. i'm better educated, and (i think) harder working, than a good portion of the public service, yet they have better working conditions, guaranteed jobs, and equivalent or better pay. these discrepancies exist everywhere.

i'd agree with you that those guys in that division shouldn't be paid, but that's just my opinion. the clubs are getting money from somewhere to pay them. and finding better profits by doing so, or they wouldn't be. market conditions. supply and demand.

are you really standing behind an argument that triathletes should be paid more because footballers are???

mossym

Enduro wrote: »

- more likely that everyone is doing the sport for the joy of it, rather than slogging it out to get the paycheck, which is likely to lead to a better atmosphere.

.

i actually think triathlon, with the AG factor at the same races as the pro's, does better at that than most other sports.

i can see where you are coming from, but you also don't want to remove the ability of the very best to push as far as they can, be they very best they can be(with the exception of the PEDs), and race head to head. maybe that can be done without full time training. hard to see it though.

griffin100

Triathlon has always struck me as a mass participation sport rather than a mass spectator sport and hence not a sport that will pay most of the athletes well. The big money in triathlon is to be found in running races and as a manufacturer in getting your product onto and under athletes in order to increase sales. I'd imagine there will always be a pro field as long as there are AG'ers who dream of being a pro.

On a side note is there any restriction on becoming a pro? If I buy a pro licence does that automatically enter me into the pro ranks or is there 'quality control' like for for golf pros? Genuine question.

sconhome

griffin100 wrote: »

On a side note is there any restriction on becoming a pro? If I buy a pro licence does that automatically enter me into the pro ranks or is there 'quality control' like for for golf pros? Genuine question.

Can't just buy a licence but anyone can go 'pro' if they can afford to.

I've heard of several people 'turning pro' for a couple of years to see how they would perform with a decent training regime. Often ties in with a career break or sabbatical from a job and no ties or kids too.

Quite a few 'pros' like this too: :

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4500441 :rolleyes:

Quality control does come into it in terms of qualifying for support from the National body. But if you have deep pockets and decent savings anyone can turn pro in the morning - so that pretty much rules me out.

sconhome

Just to dove-tail nicely into this re money in triathlon, where does doping fit in? http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/antidoping-experts-concerned-at-rise-in-number-of-amateur-athletes-turning-to-drugs-to-get-ahead-10031430.html

What is the point of doping when there is no financial reward at the end of it? (not condoning doping, but most common reason for doping is financial gain) Tis beyond belief.

coppinger

Q : Is there any money in triathlon now?

A : Is there anybody watching triathlon now?

Fans = Money

1 million people on the side of the road watching a tour stage - win the tour and become a millionaire

How many people on the side of the road at Kona? - has any triathlete ever become a millionaire?

tunney

AKW wrote: »

Just to dove-tail nicely into this re money in triathlon, where does doping fit in? http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/antidoping-experts-concerned-at-rise-in-number-of-amateur-athletes-turning-to-drugs-to-get-ahead-10031430.html

What is the point of doping when there is no financial reward at the end of it? (not condoning doping, but most common reason for doping is financial gain) Tis beyond belief.

We all know amateurs that have doped (note: not referring to anyone in my present club, my previous club nor anyone I have ever worked with)

As it was once put to me "sure EPO costs less than high end wheels and which makes you go faster? Thats why dave"

Oryx

I spoke to a pro once about this, and the prize funds don't pay their way, sponsors do. You won't stay in the game long without sponsorship. Its been said above, its a mass participation sport, the money is in the copycats. Us. Sponsors want their product worn/used by pros so all us wannabe agers see it and jump to buy it as the secret to success (we are such suckers for marketing). Rudy project were even giving away helmets to agers in Kona this year as long as they were worn in the race. Those athletes, while not pro, will go home with their race pics and advertise the product to their mates. Thats how companies make money in this sport. Monkey see, monkey do.