WASHINGTON D.C. (BRAIN)—It seems only fitting that with the Ironman World Championship taking place tomorrow in Kona, Hawaii, a new study points to triathlon showing the most major gains amongst all outdoor sports.
Triathlon (traditional/road) saw almost two million participants in 2010—a 64 percent jump from the year prior. While triathlon (traditional/off-road) saw a 39 percent jump in participation for 2010, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2011 Outdoor Recreation Participation Study. BMX was up a very healthy 31 percent.
Both tri categories, in fact, only placed behind stand up padding for the highest percentage of first-time participants in 2010, according to the study.
Road biking/mountain biking/BMX as a category finished behind fishing and running/jogging/trail running for most popular outdoor activities by participation rate, according to the study.
That same bike category moved up one spot to second place behind running/jogging/trail running when it came to frequency of participation, according to the study.
Click on above link to download complete study. For more on this study, be sure to read the November issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
—Jason Norman
jnorman@bicycleretailer.com
