The end of HITS Triathlon Series?
Years ago I predicted the HITS triathlon series would not survive after it was first established in 2011...that thread must be in the forum somewhere. Certainly, their full distance races never took off with many having just 20-30 finishers year after year. And in recent years, the number of race venues in the series has been pared back to the point where all that is left is a handful of races in Florida, New York and California.
After all these years, I finally did my first HITS triathlon, the Naples Olympic distance this past weekend (Jan 7). It was brutally cold for a triathlon in Florida with the air temperature in the morning at 46 and the water temp at 58 degrees. But they still had 130 finishers in the sprint and 90 in the Olympic. The day before had 68 in the half and 16 in the full. Despite the weather, I thought HITS did a decent job of organizing and executing the race. I did not feel unsafe or witness any major errors in race management. But I truly think this is the last year for HITS. Here's why.
I registered for this race the day after last year's event when they had a 24 hour special price. I think I paid $65. About noon on Sunday I saw that their website already had the dates up for next year's edition of this race. But by the time I got back to Tampa the 2019 dates were gone. However, Active.com had the Naples 2019 registration up on their website for each distance with prices for all categories, but the links were inoperative and there was verbiage to check the organizers web page first. The active.com page was still there on Monday but was removed today. The down turn in triathlon participation plus Ironman announcing a 70.3 the week after the HITS championship race at the same location seems to have been the final straw. The irony is that just today, Dan Empfield posted an article noting that 2017 was the end of the retrenchment for triathlon and predicting that 2018 would be the start of another growth period.
If I'm right that this year marks the end for HITS, I will give them credit for hanging in there for 7 years; and I tip my hat to those hardy souls who completed a HITS full in what must have felt like a solo training effort.
After all these years, I finally did my first HITS triathlon, the Naples Olympic distance this past weekend (Jan 7). It was brutally cold for a triathlon in Florida with the air temperature in the morning at 46 and the water temp at 58 degrees. But they still had 130 finishers in the sprint and 90 in the Olympic. The day before had 68 in the half and 16 in the full. Despite the weather, I thought HITS did a decent job of organizing and executing the race. I did not feel unsafe or witness any major errors in race management. But I truly think this is the last year for HITS. Here's why.
I registered for this race the day after last year's event when they had a 24 hour special price. I think I paid $65. About noon on Sunday I saw that their website already had the dates up for next year's edition of this race. But by the time I got back to Tampa the 2019 dates were gone. However, Active.com had the Naples 2019 registration up on their website for each distance with prices for all categories, but the links were inoperative and there was verbiage to check the organizers web page first. The active.com page was still there on Monday but was removed today. The down turn in triathlon participation plus Ironman announcing a 70.3 the week after the HITS championship race at the same location seems to have been the final straw. The irony is that just today, Dan Empfield posted an article noting that 2017 was the end of the retrenchment for triathlon and predicting that 2018 would be the start of another growth period.
If I'm right that this year marks the end for HITS, I will give them credit for hanging in there for 7 years; and I tip my hat to those hardy souls who completed a HITS full in what must have felt like a solo training effort.
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Bud Light, USTS, Rev3, HITS, LifeTime, and so many more I can't remember...R.I.P.
Sad.
I've done HITS Napa x2 Havasu x1 and Palm Springs x1 all HIM. Was bummed about no more Havasu as it was my old home town-and parents still there. Always good -low key events .... wasn't until IMAZ that I saw the contrast in #s of racers and fans etc. The Napa has had some adverse weather -Lake always cold and I can see the challenges for their "every distance" model as Havasu had a good OLY/Sprint-decent HIM but <20 IM which seems about par. "who wants to do a 140mile race without saying 'your an Ironman'" issues I guess. Most of the complaints have been those who haven't done other small events such as some ultra races or local HIMs etc that I've done.....ie no on course food/jells...."here's a map...see you at the finish" type events. Its cool to have a big swag bag, but that's not what I go to race for. They all seem a bit more challenging -Napa changed its bike after first year -brutal climbing....and Palm springs was dead flat-but rough- then changed to a huge climb and sketch decent on non closed road -changed back to flat rout.
I was considering doing Palm Springs again this year....But may "sell out" and do IM 70.3 Indian wells.....mainly for the chance to go for a WC slot (long shot at best). This was not WTC doing this by accident....this was Walmart building next to K-mart Kill the competition. I actually expect this location to close once HITS is dead unfortunately. Sad.
I suspect in a few years it will be just Mega Corp run races....and the other extreme really small grass roots races with tough courses and minimal support but die hard fans (old Vineman or ones like Rat Snake etc) Too easy now for WTC to pop up a race- test for profitability and close it or another down just as easy.