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THE TRIATHLON BIZCAST

We deliver stories, expertise experiences from the top business owners in the triathlon industry, so that other business owners can learn how to succeed and by doing so, grow the reach of the sport.

Episode 013: These Sprint Triathlons Are Creating A Spectator Sport

By Nate Riggs on Jun 18, 2018 11:53:19 AM |

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Major League Triathlon is shaking up the race industry. 

Daniel Cassidy is challenging current race formats, adding team competition, improving the spectator experience, and even branding teams of professional triathletes.

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Our guest this week is an absolute maverick.

Dan Cassidy earned his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from College of the Holy Cross before starting his career in business and marketing. That career began on the Business Advisory Staff as a financial consultant at Ernst & Young.

After working there, he realized that while he loved the company, his real passion was in entrepreneurship, so Dan founded Push Potential Marketing, a sports marketing and management company focusing on endurance sports companies, teams, events, stores and individuals.

During his time at Push Potential Marketing, he volunteered as an ambassador for the The Eleanor Rocks Foundation. The foundation supports families with sick children in NICUs around the country. In 2013, he organized and led a fundraiser that raised over $12,000 for the Foundation.

As an amateur triathlete himself, Dan isn't a stranger to endurance sports...but after his wife made him experience the sport as a spectator, he realized that something needed to change from the fan (and family) side of things. 

After finding his stride in the endurance sports world, Dan joined Major League Triathlon as the CEO.

SHAKING UP THE RACE INDUSTRY

major league triathlon sprint triathlonsStarted in 2016, Major League Triathlon is the first and only professional triathlon league in the United States and hosts races in major cities across the United States. MLT was formed with the goal of creating a more spectator-friendly version of triathlon and also aims to grow the sport of triathlon on both an amateur and professional level.

Major League Triathlon pros compete in pop-up “stadiums”, allowing for a viewer experience unlike anything before seen in the sport; creating more than just a race, but creating a show.

A Spectator Sport

There are two unique components to the experience the Major League Triathlon creates.

The first component is a festival, which includes a concert series, craft beer gardens, interactive expos, running events, games, kid zones, and more. The second component is professional team racing. Teams of two professional men and two professional women are aligned with cities across the United States. At each event stop, they compete against seven other professional teams in a Mixed Super Sprint Relay. 

The "secret sauce", according to Dan, is a sprint style race that can appeal especially to younger crowds and spectators as shorter courses. They also organize a "loop" style race where the entire race in contained within 1 square mile, giving spectators the opportunity to see every part of the race. 

In an interview with Endurance Sportswire, Dan said “We want to grow triathlon and showcase the professional side of the sport, and so it’s our aim to make the weekend exciting for everyone, whether they’re a professional triathlete or have never even been exposed to the sport.” 

Not only does the weekend create an incredibly engaging experience for spectators, but the races are also live streamed online where thousands more people can tune in to watch the show. 

RACING INTO THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY

When Major League Triathlon first hit the streets, they faced a good amount of skepticism.

Now that the organization has hit its stride and started to build a following and a fan base, Dan is more encouraged than ever. With the goal to grow the sport in mind, MLT is hopefully something that the industry starts to see as a long-term fixture in the sport. 


That's it for this episode wrapper of The Triathlon BizCast. Make sure to listen to Dan's episode to learn even more about how Major League Triathlon is changing the nature of the sport with their sprint triathlon formats and spectator experiences. Dan is constantly looking for ideas, feedback, and constructive criticism, so don't hesitate to reach out to him at daniel@majorleaguetri.com
Have someone in mind that we should interview on the show?
Drop their name in the comments below!

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About The Triathlon BizCast

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Triathlon Bizcast is the very first triathlon podcast that brings you real stories from today's top endurance sports business owners who are working to grow the sport of triathlon.

Each week our goal is to bring you stories, expertise, and experiences from today’s top business owners in the triathlon industry. Our interviews will run about 20-30 minutes in length – the perfect length for your training runs, short hit rides or even your daily commute to the office.

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Nate Riggs

Written by Nate Riggs

Nate Riggs is the Founder and CEO of NR Media Group, a Certified HubSpot Partner and inbound consulting firm. He leads a team of experienced strategists, content marketers, creatives and technologists that help organizations deploy and use HubSpot’s marketing, sales, and service software to operate more efficiently and accelerate growth. Nate regularly presents keynotes and workshops at top industry conferences like INBOUND, Content Marketing World and Oracle’s Modern CX. In 2017, Nate was recognized by HubSpot for his contributions to the development of the HubSpot Education Partner Program. Nate regularly presents keynotes and workshops at top industry conferences like INBOUND, Content Marketing World and Oracle’s Modern CX. In 2017, Nate was recognized by HubSpot for his contributions to the development of the HubSpot Education Partner Program.
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