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Another nail in the 5150 coffin!

Paul HoughPaul Hough
in Races & Places 🏁⛺

Today I got my check back from WTC for cancelling the Clearwater 5150 (originally scheduled for last week).  Despite saying that they would bring it back in 2012 they pulled it off the 2012 schedule of events on www.5150.com.  Anyway, I thought I would use these bucks to pay for the Miami 5150 (Miami International Triathlon) which I had done before WTC bought it.   So I checked the event listing and now they've pulled it from the list too!  And the MIT website (mitriathlon.com) has been pulled down and replaced with "MAINTENANCE MODE".  

Have they killed off another great race or is something else going on? 

Comments

  • DanielaDaniela
    Jason Taylor posted on the dashboard today that WTC bought the Kansas City Triathlon race and it's now a 5150. It will have a ironkids race on Saturday and both sprint and olympic on Sunday. Cost is only $50 through the end of the month, then goes up to $75. I had planned on doing Memphis in May to qualify to the fancy waves of the Championships in Des Moines, but KC is much closer and cheaper (Memphis is $105). Oddly they are both on May 20th.

    According to Jason..."For the last 3 years this race has been going strong with 800-1,000 participants. This will be the 4th year of the race and every year it gets bigger. It's the biggest Olympic Distance & best run race in Kansas City. WTC just bought this race, it will not be cancelled. It's like WTC buying the Munice 70.3 race or the Boulder 70.3 race, both were already well established products. WTC just went in and slapped their logo on it. I have done this race every year since it started, it's a great race. I also signed up today for this race myself to take advantage of the discounted price."


    Race website is:
    www.kansascitytriathlon.com
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    MIT was a great race running all by itself until the new 5150 series came along. Typically, most people would already have registered by now since the race is in early May. The best I can hope for is that they are moving the date. It wouldn't even surprise me if they pushed it off and held it with the Miami 70.3; but that completely changes the character of the race. MIT was big enough to merit it's own expo and a very large field. WTC is dorking up a lot of races that were fine before the 'brand' took over. Let's hope that doesn't happen to the KC Tri.
  • DanielaDaniela
    Slowtwitch forum on the craziness of the 5150 series..
    http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/2012_5150_race_only_$50.00_P3641507/

    I wonder if it is accurate that there were 800 people signed up Clearwater when it was cancelled. It's certainly not a good business model they have going. I would definitely not sign up for a 5150 race that would require non-refundable expenses such as flight.
  • zildgenzildgen
    Paul, Active.com is still allowing registration for the race as a 5150 with race date of May 11, 2012. Not sure why it is not on the 5150 calendar though.
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    @ Dewey - I hate them! May is a no-go. Why would you move it to May when there is so much competition around that timeframe? And yet, although they moved it off the 5150 calendar, WTC forgot to remove the following footnote on the events page: "The Hy-Vee 5150 Championship event will not open registration until after the first qualifying event in Miami." DORKS!
  • zildgenzildgen
    Paul, I am dyslectic or something. Race date is March 11 not May see link http://www.active.com/triathlon/miami-fl/5150-miami-2012 . Sorry to add more aggravation to you on behalf of WTC. This is a very well run race or at least it was before WTC took over. Sorry for the confusion.
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Dewey - March 11 is the date they posted over a month ago...until they pulled it off the 5150 website and took down the MIT website. I'm coming if it stays on that date...but right now I'm worried that WTC has killed it.
  • zildgenzildgen
    Not sure if I will race MIT in 2012 or not. Left knee really sore after Miami Man so on a force break and not thinking much about next year but if you and other from EN race will come to spectate for sure.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander

    Washington DC 5150 cancelled:

    triathlon.competitor.com/2012/03/ne...lled_49502

    The article states it was a permit issue, but what we speculate around here it could just be WTC unwilling to pay!

  • Nate ParadyNate Parady
    @ Scott, friend of my Wife's is PISSED...she was flying in from Chicago and had already booked her flight...
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Maybe it is just an unfortunate coincidence but the clear lesson in my book is to never do a 5150. Hopefully WTC will sell off the best ones and get out of olympictriatlon altogether. Messick alluded to that in his recent keynote speech.
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