Revolution 3 Triathlon

JUNE 7, 2009

The Revolution3 triathlon is a cool, new race in Middlebury, Connecticut – uniquely spread throughout the Quassy Amusement Park. This race staff and venue address’ one of the most overlooked issues in the sport of triathlon and an issue that must rise to the top of the priority list with all the recent acquisitions of the largest event producers and the largest media outlets - snatched up by Vulture, errr I mean Venture Capitalists. The issue I’m speaking about is making the races more spectator and more importantly media friendly. Triathlon is ripe for live television, internet streaming, and consistent on-course personalities that not only tell the viewing audience the insider talk, but also keep the commentary lively. That’s hard to do in triathlon – but it can be done. Revolution3 not only has placed the event within an amusement park for a better spectator experience, but also is investing in video/media technology to be used throughout the course. “Spectators enjoy front row action via stage screens set up in the transition area. Six cameras strategically placed throughout the course will broadcast live directly to you. Combine this with real-time GPS athlete tracking and you, too, will see the revolution unfold!” is a quote taken directly from the website which I felt demonstrated the enthusiasm that appears to be behind this race staff to make their race better. Rev3 Triathlon series is probably the organization’s next move and if they can pull this first race off without too many hiccups, I’m sure it will be a success.

Of course, it can go without saying that Rev3 is demonstrating a much needed and much appreciated prize purse for the professionals. You may not need the pros to make money as an event producer, but the indirect effect of supporting the pro circuit by putting up large prize purses legitimizes the professional side of the sport, and elevates the top performers into role models for young aspiring athletes. It creates a top tier standard for race performance and with that comes all sorts of media stories on specific race performances and the lifestyles of the pro athlete. I wish the BIG corporate races would see this cause/effect relationship, but the prize purses remain relatively small for the professionals. The professional triathletes often drive the new sponsors necessary for the sport to thrive into the sport in the first place. Aussie athlete, Chris Legh alone is responsible for bringing in millions of $ to the Ironman folks in the form of event sponsorship/industry support through his personal sponsorship networking ability. Look at what some other athletes have brought to Triathlon: Deboom (Polo), Stadler (Dresdner Kleinwart), Macca (Under Armor), Matt Reed (Crocs), Faris Al Sultan (Erdinger Beer) etc, etc, etc.

Worthwhile contributors to the development of the sport of triathlon are worth noting. Rev 3 is one of them. You can support and grow innovation within your lifestyle by making the effort to support the companies that fuel your inner soul. If racing triathlon gets you there, then consider making the trip to Middlebury, CT this summer.

Go to the website here