Media Questions Ironman Policy

The 2010 Ironman World Championships featured newly implemented rules for photographers covering the event. An article published today, Nov. 30, by Bicycle Retailer addresses the controversy surrounding these rules and talks to a few members of the media. Here’s an excerpt from the article.

“As is tradition at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, the who’s who of the triathlon industry gathers at the end of each day in the few restaurants on a three-block stretch of Ali’i Drive to swap stories on the day’s action over a pint of beer.

This year, the industry chatter among magazine editors, photographers and marketing folks didn’t revolve around the athletes, the latest technology or racing conditions, but rather a new policy that restricts the number of photographers allowed on the 112-mile bike course.

The policy, announced by Ironman organizer World Triathlon Corporation less than two months before the Oct. 9 race, aims to reduce the volume of on-course vehicles and traffic by fulfilling media requests for race images through the new WTC-owned EnduraPix Web site.

The WTC described the change as a measure to increase course safety for athletes, but the diminished access left many feeling blacklisted from the biggest and most important event on the triathlon calendar, and questioning whether the move is an underhanded attempt by WTC to monopolize race coverage.”

For the complete story, log on to Bicycle Retailer’s website.