Life Time Fitness Triathlon
from
BJ Evans
on
July 14, 2005
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While they are friendly away from the course, Hunter Kemper and Barb Lindquist will be fighting tooth and nail for the same prize on Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn., at the Life Time Fitness Triathlon. Moreover, they will both be fighting a stellar field of triathletes for that prize as well.
The Life Time Fitness Triathlon's Equalizer format means that the women's field gets a head start on the men, in hopes that the two genders will be battling for the finish. In 2004, the head start was 11 minutes, 9 seconds. The race is the intermediate distance of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run. The Life Time Fitness Triathlon also has the largest purse of any in triathlon. This year, the total purse is $500,000, with the overall winner (whether it's a man or a woman) getting $160,000 in cash, plus a 2005 Toyota 4 Runner valued at $40,000. However, the women have won all of the first three races. Lindquist (Alta, Wyo.) won the first two races, taking home $50,000 in 2002 and $250,000 in 2003. In 2004, Lindquist finished third to Australia's Loretta Harrop and Rina Hill. Kemper (Longwood, Fla.) had his best Life Time finish in 2004, placing second among the men and fifth overall.
Kemper is on a hot streak heading into the race, having ascended to the No. 1 world ranking and finishing on the podium in five out of six races so far. But the national and international competition will be tough. The six medalists from the 2004 Athens Olympics are on the start list, including women's bronze medalist Susan Williams (Littleton, Colo.) from the United States.
The other U.S. athletes on the start list are Laura (Reback) Bennett (North Palm Beach, Fla.), Becky Gibbs Lavelle (Cupertino, Calif.), Joanna Zeiger (Boulder, Colo.), Andy Potts (Princeton, N.J.), Matt Reed (Boulder, Colo.), Greg Remaly (Bloomsburg, Pa.) and David Thompson (Appleton, Minn.).
NBC will be presenting same-day coverage of the race at 2 p.m. Central Daylight Time. For more information, go to www.ltftriathlon.com.
U.S. elite triathlete and two-time Olympian Hunter Kemper, ranked No. 1 in the world, is featured in the July 13 issue of USA Today. You can also view the story online at www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/front.htm
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Life Time Fitness Triathlon
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by mikef on July 14, 2005
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this is a sport where there isn't a lot of money to be made.. an entity was gracious enough to offer a half mil in prize money, and instead of creating a format where it can be spread around somewhat, they chose to come up w/ a ridiculously top heavy first place award for the person who was fortunate enough to get enough of a head start.
no one, man or woman, should have walked away w/ $250,000 last year.. I don't recall what second place got but it must have been peanuts compared to 1st place
geez, why not open it up to joe age grouper too? I'd like a shot, as long as they give me at least an hour head start...check that, maybe an hour and a half
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by TRICLYDE on July 14, 2005
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Maybe you can come up with a half million bucks on your own and than you can determine how the prize money is distributed. Do you come from the school that says "let's not keep score because everyone should win". If you are not racing the race or competing as a pro, what does it matter to you. Than again, why did I waste my time responding? I guess I'm the dumbass.
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by mikef on July 15, 2005
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Kev, do I have to be in the race or a pro to post a thought on the matter?
I too am wondering why I post comments. I can't figure out why some people, when they read something they disagree with, can't express their own thoughts without lashing out.
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by lappy on July 17, 2005
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ya, I agree, it would be ok to spread the prize money thicker across the top 10 pros.
In pro sports, like hockey, football, it's not just the 10 best on the team who get a paycheck. So for the guy that was ripping on mike's comment, ease up a little. I think he was more on line with having more pros get a piece of the cake.
I always felt that at IMH, it was a shame to give 2nd place less than 1/2 what 1st place made. More pros would be able to stay in the sport if the prize money wasn't so lopsided to 1st place, and likely less people might be tempted to cheat with drugs as they would still be able to make a living by being consistent top 5, or even top 10. Why do we cut off our pros so unfairly....
Imagine if the Yankees told the team at the start of the year that only the guys who hit .315 and over would get paid for the year??? Pros should get paid deeper in the placings, and not so lopsided for the win.
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by blaireau on July 17, 2005
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Hello,
I believe a huge first prize money like this attracts the biggest field. It is a way also to attract the cameras on the event therefore getting more money to the event.
Anyhow, I think everybody gets a bigger paycheck then any other race out there. Ironman get $$ for top 5 (fifth gets 1000$), World Cups 10 000$ first male/female
I only see this as the best way to attract the top pros, and again the cameras.
See ya all
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by TRICLYDE on July 17, 2005
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Hey Lappy,
Do you think it is fair that A-Rod makes 25,000,000 a year and his teammate Rey Sanchez makes 600,000 a year? What if Rey outplays A-Rod?
How do you feel about clydesdale divisions or other special divisions?
The format at the Lifetime fitness race is one of a kind, made for TV, it has to be unique, outside the box. Not everyone can win. You guys make it sound like all triathlons are paid out this way. I would bet the person in 10th made more money in this race than that person would have made finishing in 10th at any other race.
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by mikef on July 18, 2005
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Jason, looks like you get my point. In a sport where only the very top earn much of a living, it would be nice to see the prize money a tad more evenly allocated. I didn't note the award level, but I understand the total purse was $500,000. Once you cut out what they paid to overall winner and first place woman ( I understand she got $80 large) there could not have been that much spread out over places 2 - 10 men and women.
Kudos to the lifetime people for doing this! would be great to see more organizations putting the money down in support of the sport.
one poster did have a very good point that it makes for good tv coverage to have that much $ on the line, that had to put some people in front of the tv that might not have watched otherwise.
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by KROL on July 18, 2005
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Sorry guys, but triathlon is NOT a TEAM SPORT!
to the victors, go the spoils.
LATE
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by mikef on July 18, 2005
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Kevin what is your suggestion? Give it all to #1? How many people are gonna want to try to compete at the pro level when it's an all or nothing?
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by lappy on July 18, 2005
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Tri Glide -
you are a bit of an idiot from what I have read.
Just to be a pro, you either have to have a severly flexible employment, or be supported by family, spouse financially, or be right at the top to be able to make a go of it. I have a friend who is a pro, as well as an engineer and the only way he can compete as a pro is to have pretty much no life, no girlfriend (he's last g-friend was even a once National Junior Champion in Canada and it still didn't work out despite her knowing the vigours)...he'd love to quit his job to help himself realize the absolute top of his potential, but he can't as the prize money and sponsors do not bring in enough to even live well below the poverty line. He's been a national duathlon elite champion, and has a profile that you would think should attract sponsors, but all he gets is free stuff... maybe if he was sponsored by a grocery store...?
Have you ever tried training 30 + hours per week? All we are saying is that is would be perhaps beneficial to allow more budding stars to stick with the sport to realize their potential without having to quit prematurely...usually due to financial constraints.
Most pros who give it up that I know of use the explanation of "I can't afford it anymore, and there is no future in it financially, I have to get on with my life and make some money"...or something similar to this. Some even balk at themselves for wasting so many years chasing a dream that once they quit...sometimes seems to give them a bad taste in their mouth.
As far as your clydesdale comment...that is an amateur division, why should amateur's who hold full-time jobs, have families, and can't train as much as a pro and chose not to, take some of the lean prize money away from the pros?
When people make comments about age-groupers and prize money...come on, get real. And I don't think it's fair that any athlete makes 25 million, or even 600 thousand a year...while fat america makes these athletes rich, the guys who are really athletes and actually train hard are poor.
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by KROL on July 21, 2005
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lappy-
yeah, he has trained 30 hours per week. he's also got four kids, a somewhat-full time job and a hell of lot more knowledge than seems to be exhibited on this thread.
LATE
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by mikef on July 21, 2005
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wow.. 4 kids, a f/t job and trains 30 hours a week. this guy's gotta be superman
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