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Three sports, four kinds of athletes

Published February 21, 2012

SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN) Feb 21, 11:48 MT—When it comes to triathletes, there are four categories with distinct wants and needs, according to a study released this week at the Triathlon America conference.

The four groups are: the newcomer, the practitioner, the veteran and the lapsed triathlete.

“These segments define a triathlete’s willingness to travel, the types of races they prefer, what keeps them in the sport and what they hope to get out of their participation,” Triathlon America said in a statement.

TA conducted the study with Active Network, surveying more than 1,700 members of the Active.com Lifestyle Panel.

Among the findings:

• Women continue to be a key growth component in the sport – 55 percent of newcomers identified in the study are female.
• Triathlons are addictive – 96 percent of current triathletes indicate they plan on participating in another triathlon.
• Triathletes are well-educated – 90 percent of triathletes have attained some level of higher education.
• Family support is important – 43 percent of all triathletes travel with their family.
• There is a “tribe” mentality – triathlon appeals to a core group of consumers with common motivations and beliefs.

The report is available for sale by emailing ConsumerResearch@ActiveNetwork.com