Round-up of inaugural Triathlon Industry Conference powered by Scimitar (Copy)
December 17, 2024 BY TIM HEMING / ENDURANCE BIZ
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Tim Heming, a freelance writer and multimedia journalist specialising in endurance sport, has pulled together a round-up of the 2024 Triathlon Industry Conference powered by Scimitar (TIC24) organised by the Triathlon Industry Association (TIA) in partnership with Running Industry Alliance (RIA).
There was plenty to discuss at the inaugural Triathlon Industry Conference powered by Scimitar on Monday December 9, 2024, as stakeholders in triathlon in the UK and beyond gathered for the first time.
Held in conjunction with The Running Conference presented by haku at Loughborough University, the event featured five panels and networking opportunities, packed into a fast-moving schedule hosted by BBC, Olympic, and supertri commentator Annie Emmerson.
Panel 1 – State of the Industry – Triathlon Industry Conference 2024 – image credit Andrew Pirie, Endurance Connection
With a wealth of experience in the room, attendees were keen to understand and contribute to the future direction of the sport. It wasn’t the time or place for sugar-coating, and the first panel, The State of the Industry, opened with some sobering data from MultiSport Research founder Gary Roethenbaugh. He explained that triathletes are racing less, and the average age is increasing, with 78% of participants aged 40-plus. He also highlighted other “headwinds”, such as gravel biking, trail running, and HYROX, which present challenges to triathlon participation growth.
John Lunt, the founder of Human Race, reflected that this isn’t just a triathlon-specific challenge, noting reduced spending in leisure across the economy. He remarked that, “How to slow the decline and ultimately build it back up?” should be the question on everyone’s minds.
Lunt discussed the shrinking base of the pyramid, noting how smaller events are disappearing. Outlaw founder Iain Hamilton emphasised that triathlon has lost much of its volunteer base since Covid and needs to re-engage with those who freely give up their time.
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels, who has been in post since January, focused on the future. Daniels underscored that the sport operates in a new world, demanding a fresh approach to how people engage with events and activities. With government funding decreasing, she added that membership and community are increasingly important for growth, and everyone has a role to play.
Addressing a question on what triathlon can learn from running, Daniels suggested delivering festival-style experiences that new triathletes perceive as “cool”. She extended this vision to clubs, stressing the need for “relevance and resonance” to attract new members.
Panel 2 – Reaching the Audience – Triathlon Industry Conference 2024 – image credit Andrew Pirie, Endurance Connection
The theme of attracting people to the sport continued into the second panel, Reaching the Audience. Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) Chief Content Officer Nick Shakinovsky explained how the following for PTO content, including the flagship T100 series, has grown 20-fold to 40 million YouTube views in the past three years by adopting a storytelling approach. Shakinovsky warned that each social media platform has a different dynamic and that cut-and-paste content is ineffective.
Bianca Fernandez-Clark of Fund Her Tri UK illustrated how the sport can still alienate women, landing her point by displaying an AI generated alpha male image of a triathlete. This was the result when ChatGPT was asked to: ‘show me a triathlete’. She outlined her work with race organisers to encourage more women to participate and shared new research highlighting barriers, such as cost, marketing, and a lack of information for women.
Also on the panel, Tim Lloyd of Always Aim High Events emphasised the importance of creating heroes beyond the elite and fostering an atmosphere of fun as well as competition.
Panel 3 – Growing the Community – Triathlon Industry Conference 2024 – image credit Andrew Pirie, Endurance Connection
The third session, Growing the Community, included Francesca Barber of Comic Relief, who backed double-amputee racing driver Billy Monger’s challenge to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in October. With the documentary to be aired in March 2025, she discussed the holy trinity of fundraising: the challenge’s difficulty, perceived ability to achieve it, and connection to the cause.
Phil Murphy of Total Tri Training stressed the importance of retention, highlighting how community involvement keeps people engaged in the sport. He cited relays as an example of creating a welcoming atmosphere, a sentiment echoed by several delegates.
Andy Biggs shared insights from Durham Triathlon Club, explaining how it collaborates with other single-discipline sports clubs in the North East.
Philip Hatzis, Founder and Partner at Tri Training Harder, talked about leveraging the strength of triathlon clubs’ lack of hierarchy, allowing members with varying strengths to support one another in swimming, cycling, and running.
Panel 4 – Innovation & Sustainability – Triathlon Industry Conference 2024 – image credit Andrew Pirie, Endurance Connection
The penultimate session, Innovation & Sustainability, featured TRIHARD founder Rei Lalo, who flew in from the US to discuss his skincare product that mitigates the effects of chlorine and bromine for swimmers. Lalo described triathletes as the perfect audience for brands due to their openness to innovation and valuable feedback, but acknowledged challenges in scaling products.
Scimitar Sportswear’s Jon Rew discussed his company’s sustainability initiatives, including certified factories and carbon offsetting, while Raya Usher explained how TriDot Pool School – based on dryland exercises – was developed during the pandemic and has yielded remarkable results.
Panel 5 – Where Next for Triathlon? – Triathlon Industry Conference 2024 – image credit Andrew Pirie, Endurance Connection
The final panel, Where Next for Triathlon?, featured Mike Jubb of ATW Events, who reiterated Daniels’ earlier point that events must “wow” participants.
Brendan Fox from Destination Sport Experiences highlighted the HYROX pairs concept as an innovative model, and Olga Correia of supertri described their approach of engaging local communities, such as schools and hospitals, to foster participation. This brought the discussion full circle to an earlier point by Lunt, emphasising that members, clubs, participants, and local communities are the true owners of the sport.
Breakdown of panels
The State of the Industry
Ruth Daniels, CEO, British Triathlon
Iain Hamilton, Founder, The Outlaw
John Lunt, London 2012 Olympic Triathlon Competition Manager; Founder, Human Race
Gary Roethenbaugh, Founder, MultiSport Research
Focused on trends in participation and implications for the future of triathlon from governing body and event perspectives.
Reaching the Audience
Bianca Fernandez-Clark, Chair, Fund Her Tri UK
Tim Lloyd, Co-Owner & MD, Always Aim High Events
Nick Shakinovsky, Chief Content Officer, T100 Triathlon World Tour / Professional Triathletes Organisation
Explored strategies to grow triathlon participation, including media approaches and efforts to attract more women.
Growing the Community
Francesca Barber, Fundraising & Events Challenges Lead, Comic Relief
Andy Biggs, Chair, Durham Triathlon Club
Philip Hatzis, Founder & Partner, Tri Training Harder
Phil Murphy, Co-Founder & Sports Coach, Total Tri Training
Discussed how clubs, coaches, and charities can strengthen triathlon’s community base.
Innovation & Sustainability
Rei Lalo, Founder & CEO, TRIHARD
Andrew Pirie, UK Country Lead, FORM; Founder, Endurance Connection
Jon Rew, Managing Director, Scimitar Sportswear
Raya Usher, UK Regional Director, TriDot; Head of Development, Precision Coaching
Explored how triathlon drives innovation in endurance sports and the role of sustainability.
Where Next for Triathlon?
Richard Belderok, Chief Technology Officer, Challenge Family
Olga Correia, Host Venue & Activation Manager, supertri
Brendan Fox, MD, Destination Sport Experiences
Mike Jubb, Head of Events & Open Water Swimming, ATW Events
Focused on how to reignite growth and create a more sustainable industry.