The current backlash against UTMB/Ironman has been surprisingly large and vigorous, opening the stage for a possible alternative. Which has arrived, although half-baked.
This puts us observers in our own conundrum, because as we push back against the overtly business-first Ironman model, we also notice their guaranteed revenue stream funds a professional marketing and management organization, which the new WTM lacks, because ... they are not business-first?
Hard for us to have it both ways.
Going a step further, we notice the supposed non-profit organizations are actually the worst! Anyone a big fan of the USATF? (The Orlando LOC for the Marathon Trials cannot receive any revenue but must pay for everything, including $100k to the USATF for Hosting Rights). How about our hallowed Olympics? (I've seen their HQ in Lausanne - it cost $150 million to build).
So I agree with this post entirely, it's a very good analysis, while also agreeing with Steve's Comment below - we gotta relax.
Go for a run. Enjoy our own experience. Running fundamentally is a Participation sport not a Spectator sport, so even though we enjoy the latter, the former is always there for us.
My expectations are likely higher than most, stemming from studying other categories of businesses that have been running for years, not the short time that we’ve had trail running race organisations. It just seems odd that even the simplest details in this business plan were not considered before WTM decided to launch this to the world. I’m sure all this will come with time.
This by no means has effected my ability to enjoy a run ;)
Thanks, Matt. The finer details will be published soon. It's OK, there's still time.
And the reference was indeed to the sketch from Monty Python's Holy Grail. Sorry you had to google it - I guess it shows my age and was way before your time. It's a classic that always makes me chuckle.
I would urge patience. We see that you want the World Trail Majors to succeed and appreciate that. We understand the impatience for the detail. But kindling the "embers ... of an alternative future for the sport" is a complex and time-consuming task. With trail runners, race organisers, brands and journalists across the world we're working on it, but it may take us all a while and will be done best gradually and with care.
Thank you for your clarity Steve, but the question still remains as to why you didn’t wait till 2025 to launch if the details weren’t ironed out from the start? You could have launched the concept and brought fans along the journey instead of saying 2024 was your starting year.
I appreciate my expectations for a business are high and that these things take time, but as i listed above, it’s obvious that even the broader questions (let alone the finer details) around why athletes should compete in WTM were not given enough thought by the time you launched.
Hopefully your strategy will become more obvious once it’s published :)
The current backlash against UTMB/Ironman has been surprisingly large and vigorous, opening the stage for a possible alternative. Which has arrived, although half-baked.
This puts us observers in our own conundrum, because as we push back against the overtly business-first Ironman model, we also notice their guaranteed revenue stream funds a professional marketing and management organization, which the new WTM lacks, because ... they are not business-first?
Hard for us to have it both ways.
Going a step further, we notice the supposed non-profit organizations are actually the worst! Anyone a big fan of the USATF? (The Orlando LOC for the Marathon Trials cannot receive any revenue but must pay for everything, including $100k to the USATF for Hosting Rights). How about our hallowed Olympics? (I've seen their HQ in Lausanne - it cost $150 million to build).
So I agree with this post entirely, it's a very good analysis, while also agreeing with Steve's Comment below - we gotta relax.
Go for a run. Enjoy our own experience. Running fundamentally is a Participation sport not a Spectator sport, so even though we enjoy the latter, the former is always there for us.
A stellar response as always Buzz :)
My expectations are likely higher than most, stemming from studying other categories of businesses that have been running for years, not the short time that we’ve had trail running race organisations. It just seems odd that even the simplest details in this business plan were not considered before WTM decided to launch this to the world. I’m sure all this will come with time.
This by no means has effected my ability to enjoy a run ;)
Thanks, Matt. The finer details will be published soon. It's OK, there's still time.
And the reference was indeed to the sketch from Monty Python's Holy Grail. Sorry you had to google it - I guess it shows my age and was way before your time. It's a classic that always makes me chuckle.
I would urge patience. We see that you want the World Trail Majors to succeed and appreciate that. We understand the impatience for the detail. But kindling the "embers ... of an alternative future for the sport" is a complex and time-consuming task. With trail runners, race organisers, brands and journalists across the world we're working on it, but it may take us all a while and will be done best gradually and with care.
Thanks again for your analysis.
Best wishes - Steve
Thank you for your clarity Steve, but the question still remains as to why you didn’t wait till 2025 to launch if the details weren’t ironed out from the start? You could have launched the concept and brought fans along the journey instead of saying 2024 was your starting year.
I appreciate my expectations for a business are high and that these things take time, but as i listed above, it’s obvious that even the broader questions (let alone the finer details) around why athletes should compete in WTM were not given enough thought by the time you launched.
Hopefully your strategy will become more obvious once it’s published :)