"Mr. Marathon" Tracy Sundlun fired by Competitor Group Inc.

TrackCEO wrote:

This is akin to Apple ousting Steve Jobs:

http://timesofsandiego.com/business/2016/11/15/mr-marathon-tracy-sundlun-hits-wall-with-competitor-group/

Tracy Sundlun (with Elite Racing's Tim Murphy) basically invented the modern marathon movement.

Also news: CGI is cuttig back on its elite-athlete budget.

K E N

He was fired by Competitor Group just before leaving to go to the Rio Olympics. Competitor Group is in considerable trouble with the equity firm that bought them for too high a price and wants to make their money.

Soon there will no racing going on at these events at all. They will become parades with an order of march not a running pace based series of waves.

Cutting back is an understatement. Las Vegas marathon paid $500 for the WINNER which was an elvis impersonator. Just a few years ago, that marathon was won in 2:11:57.

Before R&R

211

216

216

After R&R

227

215

225

228

232

235

227

221

238

Pretty soon, those Rock 'n' Roll events are going to have to be called crawls instead of races.

Sundlun knows his stuff. He'll turn out alright.

bad for the sport...... wrote:

Cutting back is an understatement. Las Vegas marathon paid $500 for the WINNER which was an elvis impersonator. Just a few years ago, that marathon was won in 2:11:57.

Before R&R

211

216

216

After R&R

227

215

225

228

232

235

227

221

238

The course changed significantly from when it was not owned by CGI to now. The original course started west of Las Vegas in the mountains and ran east towards a finish line in a park near McCarran Airport. It was a downhill course. Then it switched to a start in Jean, located well south of The Strip and ran up rural Las Vegas Blvd to the same park near McCarran Airport.

The Rock 'n Roll race is more hilly, not as fast. It is an event run on the cheap with multiple silly circuits through properties to reach the full distance. They skimped this year in multiple areas.

This year's initial female winner apparently was disqualified for inadvertently missing a turn thrown in at mile 24 to make the required mileage. She had been in third place but suddenly vaulted into the lead by shortening her distance by 8/10th of a mile. Fortunately it was straightened out after the leading woman racer and her bicycle escorts protested.

good to hear that competitor is in trouble. they killed the golden goose by making racing extremely expensive, and certainly everyone around followed suit.

jjjjjj wrote:

good to hear that competitor is in trouble. they killed the golden goose by making racing extremely expensive, and certainly everyone around followed suit.

Unfortunately it's doubtful competitor is in trouble. They are probably doing very well and know they don't need any elites to get thousands to jog their parades. They are smart seeing the trend of hobbyjoggingness bucket list races being the less strenuous HALF marathon. If you can't make a bunch of money with a 20,000 runner race, you aren't screwing over the runners enough. (Heard they were missing a few mile markers in the marathon)

The private equity firm that owns competitor group paid 250 million dollars to acquire it. The levels of participation at competitor Rock and Roll Marathon events has remained flat the past few years. The Equity Firm is getting nervous and heads have been rolling at competitor group. This is also confirmed in the employee comments for competitor group on Glassdoor.

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/05/02/Finance/Competitor-Group.aspx?

Tracey Sundlun wrote:

Today, somebody runs 20 miles a week, they think they’ve changed their life. Somebody runs 5 hours for a marathon, people think they’re a God. Our courses are moving restaurants and we have more Port-a-Potties on them than some states. And you take a picture (of race entrants) — they’re your neighbors.

If you don't know Tracey, then you don't know Tracey.

He actually ran against Stephanie Hightower for USATF President. USATF would be a different place if T. Sundlun were President.

TrackCEO wrote:

This is akin to Apple ousting Steve Jobs:

http://timesofsandiego.com/business/2016/11/15/mr-marathon-tracy-sundlun-hits-wall-with-competitor-group/

Tracy Sundlun (with Elite Racing's Tim Murphy) basically invented the modern marathon movement.

Also news: CGI is cuttig back on its elite-athlete budget.

K E N

Actually making events fun are what Elite racing did i.e.: Rock and Roll series, marathon events were well on their way.

The Competitor group is unprofitable and loosing money. A venture group purchase like this is a short term vision, buy, build up to profitability and sell to make a big profit. The formula has not panned out. They will cut it to the bone, try and to get it to breakeven, hopefully sell off to recoup original investment or sell at a minimized loss before they have to shut it down for hemorrhaging dollars.

Never done any RNR races and not planning on it. Overpriced and overhyped. There's enough excellent smaller races out there.

jjjjjj wrote:

good to hear that competitor is in trouble. they killed the golden goose by making racing extremely expensive, and certainly everyone around followed suit.

Why do you hate America?

Another PE plan that didn't work out. I bet the idea was to flip the events to a bigger fish like lifetime fitness.

jjjjjj wrote:

good to hear that competitor is in trouble. they killed the golden goose by making racing extremely expensive, and certainly everyone around followed suit.

Why do you hate America?

Another PE plan that didn't work out. I bet the idea was to flip the events to a bigger fish like lifetime fitness.

Maniac3480 wrote:

Never done any RNR races and not planning on it. Overpriced and overhyped. There's enough excellent smaller races out there.

I hear ya. I too stick to old school races directed by established running clubs.

His marathon or is probably 2:43 and not 3:43 referenced in the San Diego times article.

I think he was a 1:50ish 800m runner in college.

You sure about that? I severely doubt it. I don't think Sundlun was ever a particularly good runner.

perhaps not a class runner, but most certainly a class individual. I've been fortunate to know Tracy for about a decade now and he's in a very select group of people that I trust and respect when it comes to road race or sport management. When it comes to personal friendship, he's just a straight up honorable man and I'll always be thankful for his friendship. As another poster said, he's a talented person, he'll land on his feet somewhere just fine...or perhaps he can just retire and enjoy life :)

So Many Opportunities wrote:

You sure about that? I severely doubt it. I don't think Sundlun was ever a particularly good runner.

The corporate scam........ wrote:

jjjjjj wrote:

good to hear that competitor is in trouble. they killed the golden goose by making racing extremely expensive, and certainly everyone around followed suit.

Unfortunately it's doubtful competitor is in trouble. They are probably doing very well and know they don't need any elites to get thousands to jog their parades. They are smart seeing the trend of hobbyjoggingness bucket list races being the less strenuous HALF marathon. If you can't make a bunch of money with a 20,000 runner race, you aren't screwing over the runners enough. (Heard they were missing a few mile markers in the marathon)

RnR/CGI is rumored to have filed for Bankruptcy or in the early steps to do so. This, overheard at the Honolulu Marathon events.

Also there are rumblings of contractors having not been paid in months.

Honorable? Perhaps now, but back in the day he screwed more than a few athletes out of race winnings.