WTC buys 2 new Cal. races, fees go up >100%

The silly thing is, SuperFrog will probably sell out a lot faster than it did before it was rebranded.

The rush for Oceanside has been increasing and now with a second race, all those folks who get skunked out of registering for Oceanside will move over to SuperFrog.

I agree it does suck that they jacked up the fees so much. MAYBE it means that the sellout point will move farther out on the calendar with two races.

I also think SuperFrog might be a better alternative for folks living in harsh winter locations because it is at the end of the season. Heck, Oceanside is so early in the season even the locals have not had time to work on their tan.

Has it been confirmed that it's not a typo, and that the real price isn't $300.  The military early entry price of $199 seems fair for a race that is normally $300 for general entry.

Military Entry
$199 USD open to 1/30/2015
$215 USD 1/31/2015 to 3/1/2015
$250 USD 3/2/2015 to 8/12/2015
$275 USD 8/13/2015 to close 

LOTS of triathlon out there besides WTC.......just saying.

Ironman's gobbling up races like I do Christmas dinner ...

Even at the full iron distance there's a mind-boggling number of new races on the calendar, most recently IM Vichy (France) and IM Maastricht (Netherlands) for this year Aug/Sep. I think Vichy was a half they acquired and are now offering both half and full.

Quality's starting to go downhill (just my generalized opinion). I know races often remain with or are leased out to local organizers, but WTC is still spreading itself too thin. And while inaugural races are always a crapshoot (why, oh why do I keep doing them?!*), IM ones are starting to turn out like cheap assembly line items.

*yes, there's a good reason, relatively unrelated to WTC itself

Sad thing is, Vietnam IS still cheap compared to other WTC-branded halfs and fulls.

YES, I'm coming!!! Kingsley and I both! We get to meet the Great Hot Runner??? YEEEEEES!!!!!

There's a contingent of about SIXTY athletes coming from Indonesia! Yikes!

I've raced SuperFrog... and it's Olympic distance sister, SuperSeal.

I'm BUMMED that WTC is taking it over

But Moki Martin isn't getting any younger, and maybe he thought this was the best way to preserve the legacy?

ETA: Ironman just posted this:

"We wanted to help clarify the general entry fee for the new IRONMAN 70.3 SUPERFROG on Sept. 27.

In continuation of military support, $200 of each general entry will go to the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Optimists Club of Coronado and the Islander Sports Foundation through the IRONMAN Foundation."

I'm military and I'm not happy with the change. They may draw more military... but not this Soldier. 

Yup, $200 is tax-deductible. 

BUT, then your money is going to the charities they choose. 

The Superfrog 70.3 page on ironman.com is no longer available......  

I fear that if WTC buys up too many of the popular races, that if they ever decide to get out of the "racing business" or needs to downsize, then that decision may cause the loss of many good races.

As an analogy, if I had my money divided into 4 mutual fund companies, then one "bought up" the other three THEN went under?  I lose all my money.  Before, I would only lose 1/4th.  Simplified, but that's my fear.  They bought Silverman here in Vegas.  My favorite local race.  Eliminated the full distance option and turned it into Silverman 70.3.  If WTC cuts back and pulls out, I doubt anyone will step up and keep it going, at least for a couple years.

Originally posted by WaterDog66

Originally posted by ChrisM Tim, you think it will s/o still? I gotta call it now and say no sellout. If it does I've lost all hope in triathletes hope you're well

No way of knowing for sure until we get through a season but all of the folks I have talked to around town are planning on jumping into SuperFrog now that IMCal sold out so quickly.

IMCal makes a great tune up (With it being so early in the season) but SuperFrog at the end looks like a great end of season "A" Race. Glad to see they got the pricing sorted out and $200 seems a bit more reasonable.

I will probably stick with St Geo and/or Tahoe at least for 2015 and see how things shake out.

Doing great, thanks for asking Chris. I was up in your area over the holidays for Operation Jack. It was the day after Christmas or I would have looked you up.

 

The registration page has now changed, it is a "foundation slot only" race.  Weird business model IMO.  It's not 200, still 500.

RONMAN Foundation Entry
Open

Age Group athletes will have the opportunity to participate in this race to support charitable initiatives. Entry fee for age group athletes will be $500.00 entry. $200.00 of the entry fee will be a tax deductible donation to the IRONMAN Foundation, a U.S. registered 501 (c) (3) organization. The donation portion of this entry will be used to support military and local charities including The Navy Seal Foundation, The Optimist Club of Coronado and the Islander Sports Foundation. Athletes will receive their tax deductible receipt at as part of their registration receipt. 

(Athletes who register after 8/16/2015 will not have their registration materials printed and will not receive a bib number assignment until Athlete Check-In)

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/superfrog/register.aspx#ixzz3P0iZXaTV

One can look at this from three angles.

From the non military AG perspective, you're basically making a forced donation of $200, but at least it is tax deductible.

If you are active military, you have the option to race at a discount, and compete for a WC slot.  There is no other WTC race that offers a military discount, so this is something totally new.  Doing a WTC 70.3 for $200 is a pretty good deal.

From the WTC perspective, assuming that all of the $200 goes towards charity, then this new pricing structure is less profitable than their normal 70.3 business model.  They still only earn $300 for each general entry, and lose out on anywhere from $25-100 for each military entry.  So clearly this is not some type of "money grab" initiative.  

Lastly, while the base rates for Super Frog and Santa Clara have gone up significantly from their original price before being absorbed by the WTC, they are perfectly in line with all the other WTC 70.3s.  In fact, their base rates are still cheaper than my local 70.3...which is Honu, at $320.

Originally posted by marcag

Originally posted by ChrisM

Originally posted by WaterDog66

Originally posted by ChrisM Tim, you think it will s/o still? I gotta call it now and say no sellout. If it does I've lost all hope in triathletes hope you're well

No way of knowing for sure until we get through a season but all of the folks I have talked to around town are planning on jumping into SuperFrog now that IMCal sold out so quickly.

IMCal makes a great tune up (With it being so early in the season) but SuperFrog at the end looks like a great end of season "A" Race. Glad to see they got the pricing sorted out and $200 seems a bit more reasonable.

I will probably stick with St Geo and/or Tahoe at least for 2015 and see how things shake out.

Doing great, thanks for asking Chris. I was up in your area over the holidays for Operation Jack. It was the day after Christmas or I would have looked you up.

 

The registration page has now changed, it is a "foundation slot only" race.  Weird business model IMO.  It's not 200, still 500.

 

RONMAN Foundation Entry
Open

Age Group athletes will have the opportunity to participate in this race to support charitable initiatives. Entry fee for age group athletes will be $500.00 entry. $200.00 of the entry fee will be a tax deductible donation to the IRONMAN Foundation, a U.S. registered 501 (c) (3) organization. The donation portion of this entry will be used to support military and local charities including The Navy Seal Foundation, The Optimist Club of Coronado and the Islander Sports Foundation. Athletes will receive their tax deductible receipt at as part of their registration receipt. 

(Athletes who register after 8/16/2015 will not have their registration materials printed and will not receive a bib number assignment until Athlete Check-In)

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/superfrog/register.aspx#ixzz3P0iZXaTV

Do you read all the stuff about IM foundation and how the money is used ? IF (repeat IF), it's true, it's pretty sad I wonder how much of that $500 will actually make it to the charities. I really like WTC races. Well run, good, deep competitive field. But they are really making a lot of mistakes, all over the place. CHallenge seems to be doing everything right these days. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

I didn't read those foundation threads, although I should as I have done two races that way.

I agree with you on WTC, I like the races.  But every couple years they seem to do something to step on their collective d**ks, then have to backtrack (Ironman CEO program....etc.....)   

But no other race iis a "foundation only" entry for AG.  I *believe* that military had Kona slots in superfrog 2014....  I believe, not sure.  If so, that's no different.  As for the profitability, the money goes to the  IM foundation, and recent articles say that might be going to WTC's bottom line instead.   And absent a tiered entry based on dates, the superfrog fees are WAY above std 70.3 rates 

And then there's the initial 500 fee with no mention of charity, going offline, then coming back up.   Maybe just a mistake?  who knows.   But I think the foundation only for AGers is strange.  Under your theory, it makes it less attractive (IMO, since i think the huge majority would prefer straight up AG entry) to the entrant, and less profitable to WTC?  That pass the smell test?