Behind the scenes of 24 HOT nd 8 HOT

OK, it's been a while since I posted, and partly because I am still working on the permit approvals for Cherry Creek State Park.

We are now in our 8th month working through this, and for those of you who aren't familiar with the details of event production, one of the challenges we face is securing approvals. This is often a catch 22 since insurance is required for permits, and permits are required for insurance. In fact the catch 22 extends beyond the permit process to sponsors, advertising, resource partners, marketing.

Many athletes are not familiar with the "behind the scenes" action for a race, and may not know that 99% of an event is in the financing, sponsorship, partnerships, permitting, marketing, administration and general business details.

The end point isn't the race itself, rather in moving the event forward to make it bigger, better and the post race wrap up - paying contractors, staff, permitting bodies, police fees, on and on.

I read an interesting editorial in Inside Triathlon some time ago from a race directors perspective on entry fees. While some races make money, the vast majority are lucky to break even, so it really a labor of love for the director(s). It's easy to sound like a disgruntled complainer on this subject, but the reality is the majority of directors love the sport and love putting on races for the racers. A scant few make a profit, and those lucky (or smart) enough to do so are pretty thin on the ground.

One of my primary goals is to give back to the athletic community. As I stated in an earlier blog, I took from the general competing population as a professional athlete for over ten years, and want to spend the next ten and beyond repaying this debt. I am passionate about the athletic lifestyle and it is important for me to encourage this as widely as possible.

I do want to make money, but not at the expense of giving the best possible experience for the most competitors. My financial investment last year in 24 HOT was significant (some might call it a loss), since we had 39 competitors at about $200 per person and the event cost is was excess of $50K with no $ sponsors.

Part of my costs are due to the fact that we do not put on a bare bones race, in fact we have an event, with 100 staff and volunteer, and trimmings and luxuries that make the experience unique and satisfying for everyone involved!