Endurance Sportswire Podcast / Business Leaders in Running, Cycling & Triathlon Sharing Valuable Experiences, Tips & Insights

This episode of the Endurance Sportswire podcast is a little bit different. As you know, one of the biggest events in triathlon is the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI. In today’s episode we will be speaking with Rob Klingensmith, VP of Media and Marketing at Active Network to find out specifically what happens behind the scenes and how you get business done at one of the triathlon’s most iconic events. If you are itching to go to Kona and need to convince your boss, or are already heading over there and want to be prepared to get business done, this is the episode for you.

  And today’s guest on the Endurance Sportswire podcast is Gary Metcalf, president of event management company Cadence Sports. I really enjoyed doing this interview. Gary had some very insightful stories to share about starting his company and the funny and entertaining pain points and learnings he experienced along the way. Additionally, you will learn a lot about the unique challenges and crisis situations his organization has faced putting on a recent major event. 

I’m excited to speak with friend and colleague Mike Reilly today. Mike is best known as the Voice of Ironman. Tens of thousands of ironman finishers around the world have heard his famous phrase “You are an Ironman” as they crossed the finish line. He was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2011, is a founding member of the industry organization Triathlon Business International, and committee member and host of the Running USA National Conference and more.   What you may not know is Mike has had a very successful career of over 30 years in the endurance sports industry. I look forward to hearing about some of his learnings, challenges and words of wisdom as a long standing leader in the running, cycling and triathlon industry.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews Champion System President and Co-founder Scott Kaylin about how he first broke into the business, creative financing and the importance of diversification.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews Universal Sports President Scott Brown about the challenges and opportunities bringing endurance sports to a broader audience.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews USA Triathlon CEO Rob Urbach about bringing triathlon to the mainstream, getting new athletes and keeping current athletes in the sport, and more.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger about his multi-faceted approach to growing the Detroit Free Press Marathon, challenges in his first year with Running USA and the organization’s role in growing the sport.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews SilverlineGlobal, Inc. Co-founder Holden Comeau about his transition from professional triathlete to a passionate business idea to successful entrepreneur in the endurance sports space.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews MultiSport Research Founder Gary Roethenbaugh who discusses triathlete purchasing decisions, trends and insights from the triathlon industry’s most comprehensive survey to date.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews Challenge Family CEO Felix Walchshöfer about how they’ve successfully worked with cities, global expansion and how to effectively compete with IRONMAN.

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Bob Babbitt interviews Ashworth Awards President Dan Ashworth about how creative thinking saved the organization and how a 50-year old company stays relevant.

Today’s guest is Matt Dockstader, the president and founder of Destination Races. I had the opportunity to meet Matt at the Running USA conference when it was held in San Diego last year. I had to interview Matt because he has combined two of my favorite things - wine and running. His events are centered around half marathons in beautiful scenic locations, specifically wine country.    Destination Races has expanded the number of events it holds in the US while still keeping them intimate and unique. Today we will learn how Matt has successfully broken into new regions in a competitive running market and much more.  

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, we will speak with Bob Babbitt. Those in the endurance sports industry either know Bob or have heard of him. He is the co-founder of Competitor, the co-founder of the Challenge Athletes Foundation, a 2002 Ironman Triathlon Hall of Fame Inductee, creator of the Muddy Buddy racing series and a 2012 USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Inductee. Find out how Bob made his passion for endurance sports into a long lasting career and hear about some of the amazing athletes and people he has met along the way.

In today’s episode of the Endurance Sportswire podcast, we’ll speak with Paul Hekimian, president and founder of the LA Tri Club, one of the largest triathlon clubs in the nation. Get ready to hear some  Really creative ways event organizers, retailers and brands have worked with clubs,  The biggest mistakes to avoid when working with tri clubs What kind of budget is really needed to get in front of this valuable audience – it’s not what you think!   And if you are a member or officer of a triathlon, cycling or running club, Paul will also share some of best ways to attract sponsors to your organization and as well as attract more members.

In this episode you will hear how Nate and his co-founders started the company on a shoestring budget and with no outside funding, and how only three months after launching TrainerRoad they were able to quit their day jobs.  After two short years, the company now has 11 full-time employees. More than 870,000 workouts have been logged with their software and thousands of workouts are completed each day. 

In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Richard Adler, who has spent over 30 years working with some of the most iconic brands in the sports industry, will share with you how he led the expansion of Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC from one event in Philadelphia to 11 events around the USA, and then sold it. Additionally, find out how Richard got involved in the Philly Cycling Classic unintentionally, and how he was able to then bring the biggest one day pro bike race in the USA, back from the dead.

President and CEO of Competitor Group (CGI) Scott Dickey will talk to us about acquisitions: How to prepare your organization for sale, what CGI looks for when considering an acquisition, and some valuable tips Scott has picked up along the way that can make your company more valuable.

Ben Greenfield had a successful and well paying career as a fitness trainer to the elite. But with twins on the way, he soon realized that trading dollars for hours was not how he wanted to live his life. After making more than $50,000 in less than a week selling one of his first training products, Ben quickly made the transition to creating and selling online services and information products to endurance athletes and fitness fanatics full time.  In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire Podcast, Ben will share how he created his dream job in endurance sports, the tools and resources he uses to run his business, as well as the "aha" moments and mistakes he has made along the way.

What does it take for event organizers to get sponsors when there are a greater number of events in today's market than ever before? After leaving a successful career in sports television, Tom Crichton of  HelpGetSponsor.com went out on his own and secured more than $12 million in sponsorship for event organizers, and then started his own software company. In this episode of the Endurance Sportswire podcast, Tom will share his tricks of the trade when it comes to selling sponsorships - what works, what doesn't, and why it pays to think outside the box.