April 1, 2020
Endurance Industry Colleagues,
The last few weeks have brought unprecedented challenges to our industry. The rapid onset of COVID-19 in the US has forced the immediate and complete cancellation and postponement of every race, triathlon, cycling and endurance event across the U.S. As we’re all proud to do our part to help flatten the curve, the economic realities of low to no registration revenue, sponsorship contraction, and no predictability as to when we’ll be able to resume threatens to put our entire industry at risk.
Running USA along with Spartan Race, IRONMAN, Tough Mudder, Rock & Roll Marathon Series, USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and imATHLETE / EnMotive has joined together to convene the first ever Endurance Sports Coalition. Together we’re aiming to speak to Congress with one singular voice to ask for continued support above and beyond the initial stimulus legislation.
As bans on mass gatherings may continue for months and consumer comfort in big outdoor events may be slow to rebound, many of us will need additional support to ensure that we can continue to provide the public health benefit, deliver economic and charity impact, sustain jobs and support our athlete communities.
The ask is simple: We need you to join in and support the cause. The broader our coalition, the better chance we have of being heard. Visit https://join.endurancesportscoalition.org to add your event / organization to the Coalition, and ensure you’re receiving the latest updates on our efforts and actions. We encourage you to share this message and invite industry partners, colleagues and more to join the effort. Simply share this link to anyone involved in the endurance industry.
Over the coming days, we’ll be launching a public facing call to action, asking our partners to mobilize their athletes to sign our petition and reach out to their elected officials to impress upon them the importance of our industry. This will be coupled with a broad media strategy and on the ground efforts on Capitol Hill.
Perseverance, determination and grit have long been the traits our athletes have brought to our events. With that same spirit and the support of our broader community– we can ensure that our events will be here when our athletes can safely toe the start line again.
Sincerely,
The Running USA team
