Challenge Funding Denied

[Anonymous123]

Update.

http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/154814/Race-co-director-resigns

[fall]

Aaaaaand that was challenge folks!

[JagXKR]

You do know the race will still be held next year albeit a different name? And it will more closely resemble the recent ITU event? You know the event, the one that had the largest amount of athletes that Penticton has ever hosted? Ever. The one that never would have happened if we still were paying Ironman for the privilege of lining their pockets due to the sweat of our volunteers.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... on-no-more

[twobits]

And also the biggest pain in the *bleep* for driving thru town for a week. I was more than happy to comply with one day for the benefit of others. A week however pushed me and business losses over the top to the point that I wish it would just go away.

[cr125]

just Like the deer all over the road, just another hazard to watch out for. Don't fund it

[southy]

We keep being told by organizers, supporters of, Mayor Jak and others that the economic spin-offs from these events are huge. However, I have yet to see on paper exactly what these economic benefits to the city are. Lots of generalizations .. But nothing specific. How much money did organizers of the ITU make? Challenge? I've spoken to a number of retailers who said the benefits from both these events was minimal and that the road closures for itu actually hurt business.

[JagXKR]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... lon-coming

[twobits]

I am starting to get the belief that triathlons are over saturated in the market place and may even be a dying fad sport with no sustainability anywhere without massive public subsidy. Even the Ironman brand that went to Whistler from here has seen nothing but declining numbers every year. Sooner or later people are going to question if they are worth the effort, expense, and inconvenience.
There is also something fundamentally wrong with a for profit enterprise that requires many hundreds of volunteers to make a business plan. Volunteer burnout is just one of the Achilles heal issues. Especially now that it has morphed from a one day bang to several days with fewer and fewer participants every yr.

[southy]

I am starting to get the belief that triathlons are over saturated in the market place and may even be a dying fad sport with no sustainability anywhere without massive public subsidy. Even the Ironman brand that went to Whistler from here has seen nothing but declining numbers every year. Sooner or later people are going to question if they are worth the effort, expense, and inconvenience.
There is also something fundamentally wrong with a for profit enterprise that requires many hundreds of volunteers to make a business plan. Volunteer burnout is just one of the Achilles heal issues. Especially now that it has morphed from a one day bang to several days with fewer and fewer participants every yr.

Fear not Twobits - remember the city has hired a Events Project Manager. This should help with both event and volunteer attrition.

[pentona]

Fear not Twobits - remember the city has hired a Events Project Manager. This should help with both event and volunteer attrition.

Oh great. Another City employee that we never had before. Oh well, its only 90 grand a year.

[seewood]

Twobits, you are so right in the belief of triathlon saturation point has been reached.
I have participated in the Challenge event and wife in the Peach classic. On occasion we have picked up a tri magazine if there was an article we thought might be interesting. There is no shortage of advertisements for triathlons, running events, mudder events, name it there is an advert wanting your money to sign up. Every weekend from March to October has a number of opportunities all over North America and Europe for that matter for participants to make their holiday include an event of one sort or another.
Penticton for years was on the map because of the Iron Man brand and the volunteers that made the event such a huge success.
Iron Man was not renewed because of its parent New York hedge fund managers kept going to the city wanting more and more money or services in kind to pad their own bottom line.
Now with Grand Fondo, soccer tournaments, Peach Classic Triathlon, Car shows, Elvis shows, whatever Triathlon is being proposed for August all wanting volunteers to make these events happen, something is going to give in the near future and one or a few of these events I believe are going to have issues in finding the volunteers to make these events a success. Could turn into a cluster.... and a black eye falls onto Penticton.
Reign it in new events organizer and get real regarding the expectation of volunteer participation over our short summer season.