Is B2B about to be ruined? (Page 3)

I haven't read the details yet, but assuming they follow the trend of other IM events and do a rolling TT start, this won't be the issue that it appears at first blush.

Big race.  Small race.  It doesn't matter to me, but it obviously doesn't ruin it in the eyes of most triathletes, or else participation wouldn't go up at the same time prices are increased.  The opinion that the sale is a negative is the opinion of a small minority of triathletes.

Personally, I wish more triathletes supported independent races like B2B by participating.  Competition is good for the athletes.  By continuing to buy out most WTC events, and under buy the independents, it allows WTC to charge the premium they do while independents struggle and eventually sell the event.  It's nobody's fault except the athletes that WTC has achieved a near monopoly. 

Originally posted by beastofbourbon

Originally posted by qrkid

Originally posted by beastofbourbon

Originally posted by alltom1 3000 people is going to cause some new logistical problems(think of the congestion on the 15miles of I-140) but...

The one thing they got right is that it's 3000 combined between the 70.3 and 140.6 distances. As long as they stick to the 1 hr gap between starting times, then it goes off more like a 1200 person race, followed by a 1800 person race. Still way too congested for the drawbridges at the beginning and end of the bike, which is why I'll probably have to take a permanent pass on it, in spite of the fact a lot of my friends are in the area.

Not totally true. The front of the half already rides into the back of the full as they get on the interstate. So you have pretty slow full people getting really fast people trying to pass in a very small space. That was when there was 1000 less peeps total. Now with an extra 700 odd full people and a lot of then being bucket listers and in all likelihood a little slower plus a greater number of front enders in the half. Going to be iffy.

My point remains the same... I never said it wasn't a tight course. The B2B field was at least manageable. I never said WTC eliminated logistical problems by putting on both distances. It's going to get a lot more crowded for everyone. Just think how crowded it would be if they tried to put on EITHER distance as a stand-alone race with 2000-3000 athletes! It is my opinion that most WTC races are too big anyway. But given the logistics in a few spots on the B2B course (drawbridge at the beginning, unforgiving Interstate section, drawbridge at the end), IMNC/IMNC 70.3 will be too big to the point that there are safety issues. Maybe it should have been Ironman Cape Fear, or IMCF for short.

There will be no carnage, no more injury/death per starter, or any other "safety" issues.  There never is.......it's one of the made-up concerns every time WTC buys a local race.  

You might not like it as much for a variety of reasons.......being more crowded included (I get that).....but it's not a safety issue.  Ask their insurance company

Pretty much this.  You won't find a more congested and logistically jacked up "big race" bike course than the Arizona 70.3 (formerly Soma Triathlon) course.  It nearly tripled in size from 2014 when it was still Lifetime Soma to 2015 when it became AZ 70.3.  I think there were about 600 that did the Soma in 2014 and 1700 that did AZ 70.3 in 2015.  Everyone was screaming at the rooftops there would be mass carnage.  Guess what... the sky didn't fall and all was well.

Anyone else get the e-mail from Set Up today?  Bunch of dribble about the reasoning for selling.  Not that I blame them (or the Y)... money is money and business is business.  Just don't try snowball your "customers", own up.

Yea I got the e-mail too.  I just found it funny they way that they put on in the e-mail and compounding with the "launching a new registration platform" BS that they had on their site for weeks.

They talk about "surviving" the WTC's entrance to the market in their region and point to IMMD (a race which was in existence before B2B), and Augusta 70.3 (which started in '09). 

Just freaking own up.  I'd have more respect for them.