Bolton Ironman Triathlon

[monnet]

It was the Bolton Ironman, which this post was orginally about!

Fair point.

Given that triathlon/ Ironman is run under different auspices to road racing I wonder if they get a similar brief to riders in BC events. From what you say, presumably not.

 

[Globalti]

Whilst I am sure the above is all true, my children are now the proud owners of half a dozen bidons from the hundreds thrown away onto pavements / bottom of hedges / sides of the road by the racers on Sunday.

I stopped along the road I was using and could have filled the boot.

Free drinks were provided in sponsored bidons and large bins were provided for the riders to throw the used bottles into.

Needless to say few, bothered with the bins.

I hopethe organisers were consciencious enough to go around the course at the end to retrieve the rest.

In the three or four miles I rode I saw about five identical green bidons, can't remember the logo but it was something well-known, a small yellow logo - Powerbar?.

As it happens I drove along the same stretch of road last night and all the litter has gone so I guess the organisers must have gone round after the event.

 

[crisscross]

They are gatorade bidons ... and very nice they are too!

 

[Rollon]

Two other guys from our club, were doing a lap the opposite way to competitors and were stopped at Abbey Village. The descent along the twisting reasonably narrow road from Rivington and Spittlers Edge summit, was considered too dangerous with anyone going against the flow.
Dave.

 

[Arsen Gere]

Next years event is nearly £400. The price on the front page of £375 gets a top up of £18 for an admin charge, given there are about 1300 people taking part thats over half a million quid!

You can get a lot of litter pickers and very nice bidons for half a million.

 

[Will1985]

Next years event is nearly £400. The price on the front page of £375 gets a top up of £18 for an admin charge, given there are about 1300 people taking part thats over half a million quid!

You can get a lot of litter pickers and very nice bidons for half a million.

Indeed you could, but IMUK is owned and run by the World Triathlon Corporation which operates solely to extort money from triathletes. They have very cleverly worded clauses in their Ts & Cs which you must agree to by signing up, effectively placing all the responsibility of what happens to you and the course in your hands.....basically their answer to everything is "not our problem".

You've seen the entry fee - let's say you pay up and then find closer to the time that you are hospitalised, pregnant, or anything else unforeseen which prevents you from participating - WTC hold onto virtually the whole lot and then take another £400 from whoever is at the top of the waiting list....this happens a lot.
Admittedly there are enormous costs involved in setting up transition and overnight security, but this doesn't make much of a dent in the profit when the event also has some big corporate sponsors.

 

[screenman]

It never ceases to amaze me how people see profit as something easily made, why do those that criticize not organise an even them selves. Those people that say there is a fortune in organising events in my opinion have very little idea of what a business cost to run.

Anyway, what is wrong with making a profit, if they were organised for loss or break even there would not be many big events on the next year.

Do not get angry get even, go and grab some of those huge easy to make profits for yourself. yeh! I know to busy.

 

[Will1985]

Hey, I'm not bothered at all - if people are willing to pay its their free choice. I'm merely saying that while WTC could afford to pay litter pickers to restore the course to its original condition, they won't, as has been demonstrated many times at other IM events. It's actually an indictment on society that we have little respect for our surroundings and expect others to pick up our rubbish.

I am very content competing in time trials - no money to be made in it as an organiser either because we do it for the love of the sport...

 

[Arsen Gere]

Points noted, but triathlon is an expensive sport to start with, there is all that kit and you really need a car because of the remote nature of most events.

I am one of those short of time. I don't want to organise events I just want to participate.

So I have used my business to put up all the prize money for some local road races anoymously, no credit.
It takes the pressure off the organisers if they know all costs will be covered regardless and they can get on with providing the event.

Outlaw is now nearly half the price of IMUK. I signed up to IMUK because a bunch of mates did and I don't mind the 400 quid.
What niggles me is the 18 quid admin charge you encounter inside. Almost as bad as Ryanair. Why not be upfront and honest with prices.

I raised the money point as I thought people here might not be aware how big this event is.