The 2021 Lake Pflugerville Triathlon in Texas took place on Sunday, June 27 – and reported a 33% increase in participation over the 2019 race. There was no race in 2020 due to the global pandemic.
Patrick Hight, Race Director at People-Powered Sports, the company behind the event, attributed the strong growth to an influx of new athletes. He said “A lot of new athletes are joining the sport and we are happy they chose the Lake Pflugerville Triathlon to make their start.”
The US triathlon event landscape has faced significant challenges over the past 18 months – with the Covid-19 pandemic denting what was already a subdued marketplace. An uplift in participation numbers for smaller races such as the Lake Pflugerville Tri is a welcome sight.
One change from previous years was the switch to the California Triathlon Endorsed Race Director Insurance Program which launched in March. People-Powered Sports bundled the US$2.50 per athlete cost of insurance into the race fee.
“California Triathlon made the process seamless, and athletes saved a lot of money compared to previous years,” added Patrick Hight. “I had to make a last minute addition and they didn’t miss a beat.”
Thom Richmond, President of California Triathlon, said “The California Triathlon Endorsed Race Director Insurance Program meets or exceeds almost all municipal requirements in 50 states at a fraction of traditional options. And the bonus is that the race director doesn’t lose control of valuable participant data.
“The response from our March announcement has been a bit overwhelming. In the upcoming weeks and months we will be announcing new partnerships as part of our commitment to help reverse the decade-long decrease in triathlon participation in the US.”
People-Powered Sports is now planning for a busy return to Lake Pflugerville in 2022, on June 26 and September 11.
www.lakepflugervilletri.com
www.californiatriathlon.org
