Triathlon Business International (TBI), the industry organization dedicated to the business of triathlon and its swim-bike-run sport components, has announced the first of a series of three research reports. The initial report, Data for Race Directors, was created through data collected from responses to 34 questions asked of race participants across the US between May 2018 and July 2018.
A total of 1,196 responses were received through a confidential SurveyMonkey survey.
The initial report is ‘focused on the perceptions, beliefs and opinions of race participants about their race experiences and what they’d like to see, or not see, in future races.’
The Data for Race Directors report will be followed by a report on inclusion/diversity within the sport, to be released the first part of December, and a third report on trends in the sport due in January 2019.
“We took the opportunity to ask our customers what we’re doing well and poorly,” said TBI President Dan Empfield. “Well over a thousand respondents endorsed the things we do that they like, and critiqued practices they wish were different. The enterprising business owner will take this feedback to heart.”
Other samples of findings include:
- Race participants are most likely to register for races that provide signals of safety and fairness, i.e. a pool swim, well marshalled bike courses with no drafting, a reputable race director, roads closed to traffic, attentive volunteers, and single loop or out-and-back.
- Escalating pricing structures are deemed fair, but fees appearing late into the registration process are deemed offensive by race participants and possibly reduce the rate of registration for these races.
- The transfer/refund policy deemed most fair to both participants and race directors is the transfer of entry to races the following year.
Data for Race Directors and the two subsequent reports are available to TBI members as part of their membership benefits. Non-members may purchase the reports at US$125 each by contacting Jan[at]TriathlonBusinessIntl.com. Anyone may join Triathlon Business International, or renew their membership, and receive the report.
TBI members also receive registration discounts to the 2019 TBI Business Conference, held on January 25-27, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona.
