Saturday Argument

The Argument for Saturday Races

Sometimes I hear people say that the success of a race is hurt by placing it on a Saturday. This is simply not true. In fact, I would say that scheduling a race on Saturday improves the races chances for being hugely successful. Here is why:

Travelers:

Triathletes are travelers. They love to travel to races. If you are traveling to a race, it is absolutely wonderful to be able to finish a long distance race on Saturday and go back to the hotel and take a nap, hang out with friends, share war stories and get a good night’s sleep before you head out on Sunday. The alternative leaves triathletes requesting late checkouts at the hotel and washing off in the hotel pool before they hit the road or airport dead tired. I can’t ever seem to secure a late checkout because hundreds of other triathletes always beat me to the 5 to 10 late check outs allotted by the hotel. Regardless of whether I secure one, I myself frequently don’t leave or get my stuff out of the hotel room until 2pm sometimes 3 pm. I am sure this doesn’t make the hotel very happy, but I am not going to pay for an extra night. Why do we want to set sponsor hotels up to have negative experiences with triathlon sponsorship?

Many triathletes enjoy being able to enjoy the location for a day after the race. Prior to the race this is difficult for most triathletes because they are wound pretty tight with careful eating, sleeping and exercise schedules.

Business perspective:

Let’s face it, triathletes are at least slightly OCD, over preparing, type A’s that will drive or fly in to the race at least one or two days prior to any race of this magnitude whether it is scheduled for Sunday or Saturday. If the race takes place on Saturday, triathletes will stay until Sunday. Scheduling the race on a Saturday will only guarantee sponsor and participating hotels hundreds of additional reserved nights and much less aggravation, thus leaving them anxious to be a participating or host hotel in the future.

My wife refuses to go with me for Sunday races. She knows that the entire weekend will be about the race. She will however go with me for Saturday races and bring the kids because she knows that she will be able to enjoy the location with me Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday. This post race phase is where we contribute most of our money to the local economy whether I like it or not.

Volunteers:

Many of the Saturday races I have participated in have an abundance of church groups, Boy Scout troops, and other organizations volunteering and running the aid stations that would for religious reasons not be able to volunteer their services on a Sunday.

Saturday History

For those who claim that Saturday races have less chance of success, let us look at some triathlon history. Let me name just a few western regional long running and very successful long distance Saturday races. Many of these races sell out:

Vineman
Ironman Texas
Deuces Wild Deuceman 70.3
Wildflower
Ironman 70.3 California
Pumpkinman
Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
Tour de Tucson
Ironman Coeur d’ Alene
Ironman Championship

I would say that Wildflower, Vineman and the Ironman Championship are some of the successful most sought after races in existence and they all take place on a Saturday. I do not even take the time to mention the many very successful and sold out marathons, half marathon, and other cycling events that take place on Saturdays. Anyone who tells you that a Saturday race allotment is not wise is simply mistaken.