Ironman in NYC...
From the interwebs....
Ironman Targets Wall Street Endurance Athletes With NYC Event
2011-05-11 04:00:01.12 GMT
By Michael Buteau and Josh Fineman
May 11 (Bloomberg) -- World Triathlon Corporation is close
to bringing an Ironman race to New York City as it seeks to
capitalize on the growth of endurance sports among financial
professionals.
The group is in negotiations with city officials about
staging its marquee event in Manhattan, said Steve Meckfessel,
chief operating officer of World Triathlon, which owns and
operates Ironman events.
“There are a lot of entities and moving parts and permits
that need to be completed,” Meckfessel said in a telephone
interview. “This is permitting on steroids when it comes to New
York.”
The first 140.6-mile (226.2-kilometer) Ironman race in New
York would be the 24th held annually around the world by World
Triathlon. The Ironman was created in Hawaii in 1978 and
consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile
run.
Contract talks to bring an event to New York are in “the
final stages,” Ironman spokeswoman Jessica Weidensall said, and
an accord may be signed very soon.
“Nothing is finalized,” Weidensall said in a telephone
interview. “We do not have a signed contract.”
Andrew Cole, a spokesman for Providence Equity Partners
Inc., the Providence, Rhode Island-based buyout firm that
purchased World Triathlon in 2008, declined to comment.
Korff Partnership
The event would be staged in partnership with Korff
Enterprises, which operates the Olympic-distance Nautica NYC
Triathlon, Meckfessel said.
“We’re close, but I thought we were close about three
years ago,” Korff Enterprises owner John Korff said in a
telephone interview. “It’s like being at 26 miles in the
marathon.”
World Triathlon recently partnered with Korff, who has been
working on bringing an Ironman to New York for seven years, and
the NYC Triathlon to promote the event as part of Ironman’s 5150
Triathlon Series.
The 11-year-old NYC Triathlon, which is scheduled for Aug.
7, consists of a .9-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and 6.2-mile
run.
The 2010 NYC Triathlon sold out in six minutes, according
to Korff. Entrance for this year’s event was conducted via
lottery in November.
Popularity Soars
In the decade after triathlon first appeared in the
Olympics in 2000, membership of USA Triathlon soared to 135,000
from 20,000, according to the sport’s governing body in the U.S.
Ironman competitors have an average annual income of
$161,000, according to World Triathlon.
“Our athletes come from a very high demographic profile,
with high incomes and a high status within their professional
pursuits,” Meckfessel said.
The swim would take place in the Hudson River, Korff said.
Meckfessel said the run would likely be two loops of a 13.1-mile
circuit rather than the New York City Marathon course, which
begins in Staten Island and ends in Central Park.
Competitors have 17 hours to finish an Ironman, making it
difficult to close large sections of the city, Meckfessel said.
The earliest an Ironman could be held in New York would be
2012, though 2013 may be more realistic, Korff said.
Ironman world champion Chris McCormack of Australia will
speak at a June 7 event at the Harvard Club of New York City to
discuss “New York City’s Newest Triathlon,” according to a
listing on the Active.com website. Robin Hood Endurance, which
is affiliated with a charity that helps fund poverty programs
and groups in New York, is organizing the event.
World Triathlon gets its revenue from races -- including
the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii --
licensing deals with companies such as athletic shoemaker K-
Swiss Inc. and watchmaker Timex, and sponsorships with companies
including Ford Motor Co. and General Mills Inc.
Ironman’s brands also include Irongirl, Ironman 70.3 and
Ironkids.
--Editors: Dex McLuskey, Rob Gloster
To contact the reporters on this story:
Mike Buteau in Atlanta at +1-404-507-1320 or
Joshua Fineman in New York at +1-212-617-8953 or
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at +1-212-617-1262 or
Comments
The mind boogles at what the bike course might be like.
x2 on the bike course comment from Al...
Having been to NYC a few times, visions of "smooth roads" don't come to mind...
I could see a multiple (more than 2) lap course for the bike...
I would also guess that regardless of entry fee this event will sell out quick...Suspect that lots of first timer NYC folks will want to give it a go...
any other states with multiple IM long course races. This wouldl be the second Full IM for NY which could potentially/maybe ease the flood of people trying to get into IMLP. just a thought.
Perhaps some of the cobble sections in the financial district could be included?
Ditto what Al said about the bike course.
$1000 entry fee maybe. And just maybe it helps people get into LP easier.
I will be in for it. Would be awesome. There are plenty of roads that will work just fine. It is not like the whole course has to stay in manhattan. If it is all down river maybe I can even break an hour on the swim. As for things like local hotels, come on. The prices are always really high but are not going to increase for IM week. There are more than 80,000 hotel rooms in NYC, 1900 plus in the Marriot Marquis alone. There will plenty of places to stay. Its not like the comressionsockaratzi are going to take over the city like in the small towns either. Nice part is that all the sillyness will likely go unoticed in a city where ignoring the strange behaviour of others is an art form. Bring it!
And NYC is used to temporary housing for tons of people, lots of conventions, tourists, etc. Think about how many people come from out of town for the marathon!
I'd be very tempted to try this.