A new study initiated by USA Triathlon (USAT) has revealed exciting new data on the demographics and spending habits of triathletes in the United States. The study reveals significant growth and spending on the sport despite a worsening economic backdrop. USAT and the TribeGroup – who conducted the market research study – released the executive summary of the findings this week.
The Mind of the Triathlete study was conducted in October and November of 2008 and is the first of its kind to provide a deep analysis and segmentation of the triathlete across new participants and long time veterans. More than 15,000 triathletes gave an average of 20 minutes describing their experiences, lifestyle, habits and backgrounds.
“When we agreed to exclusively partner with TribeGroup on the study we weren’t sure what exactly the data would show since we hadn’t updated anything since 2000,” said Tim Yount, USAT Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications. “We were pleased with the job we have done and are more optimistic now than ever about the future of triathlon and the ability of USAT to continue to improve the experience of members and the community at large.”
The study grouped participants into seven distinct segments according to similarities in their demographics, psychographics and involvement in the sport. While all are from high socio economic backgrounds with median incomes of US$126,000 (€96,000), their motivators and mindset are different, creating a significant opportunity for the triathlon community to serve them better and in more targeted ways.
In terms of expenditure on triathlon, the polled triathletes are spending cautiously but on average intend to spend as much in 2009 as they did in 2008. In fact, 45% would rather spend discretionary income on triathlon, with three of seven segments in the study exceeding 65% and one by nearly 80%.
“What is remarkable is the incredible passion of triathletes no matter what the economy is doing. They are increasing participation both in the numbers of races and those moving up in distance. The results and incredible willingness of the athletes to tell us what makes them tick is a testament to how much they want the sport to grow and the unmet needs or concerns they have,” said Jolene Moore, Director of sales for TribeGroup. “The opportunities for sponsors, race directors and suppliers to tailor offerings and strategies in this time of limited budgets is clear.”
According to USAT, triathlon participation in the United States is at an all-time high, following unprecedented growth over the past 10 years. USAT can easily track the surge through its membership numbers, which surpassed 115,000 annual members in early 2009. To put that into perspective, annual membership hovered between 15,000 and 21,000 from 1993 to 2000.
On the event side, the number of races sanctioned through USAT continues to climb. Those numbers (which include camps and clinics) have gone from 1,541 in 2004 to 2,804 in 2008. The number of actual triathlon races during that time has grown from 897 to 1,769, while duathlon (run-bike-run) races have gone from 277 to 425.
