Attendees learn and connect at Endurance Exchange.

Attendees learn and connect at Endurance Exchange.

Endurance Exchange

Endurance Sports Leaders Connect and Learn at 2024 Endurance Exchange

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by USA Triathlon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Coaches, race directors, endurance sports athletes and industry professionals gathered in person Jan. 4-7 in Charlotte, North Carolina, for USA Triathlon’s fifth annual Endurance Exchange, the premier industry-wide conference for endurance sports hosted by USA Triathlon.

Endurance Exchange was abuzz with activity at the University of North Carolina Charlotte campus as attendees networked and learned during the more than 30 live sessions presented by the industry’s top coaches, race directors and industry professionals. The conference featured a mix of hands-on, experiential learning workshops — including in-water pool sessions — and lecture experiences to educate athletes, coaches, race directors and more members of the multisport community.

"My favorite part of the Endurance Exchange experience is that we had 500 people from around the country all coming together to share best practices in a way that you rarely get to do as a coach or a race director," said Victoria Brumfield, USA Triathlon CEO. "We had a wonderful four days of learning, connecting and inspiring at Endurance Exchange, which was a great way to kick off the 2024 season."

Renowned physiologist, sports scientist and coach Iñigo San Millán kicked off the presentations on Jan. 6 as the conference's keynote speaker. A pioneer in the development of new methodologies for athletic performance, San Millán has made significant contributions to the fields of endurance sports, metabolic health, and performance optimization. Throughout his 27-year career, he has worked with many elite and professional athletes, including 2020 and 2021 Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogačar.

In his Endurance Exchange keynote, San Millán shared the key takeaways of his research, which focuses on the interplay between genetics, lifestyle, and performance, with a particular emphasis on how athletes can optimize their training and nutrition to achieve their full potential.

Attendees learn and connect at Endurance Exchange.

Attendees also had the opportunity to dive into the full report of USA Triathlon’s State of the Sport Survey. Produced for the second consecutive year by Sponsorship Research International (SRi), the USA Triathlon State of the Sport Survey provides valuable insights on the current state of the multisport industry and USA Triathlon membership. USA Triathlon annual members, including coaches, race directors and club leaders were surveyed to help identify key trends in the endurance sports industry. Julie Zdziarski of SRi discussed the key trends and findings from the State of the Sport Survey, highlighting key findings that are helpful for race directors and coaches as they plan their business for 2024 and beyond.

"Where else will you learn about the key data and trends in our industry? Any race director should go to Endurance Exchange every year if they’re able," said Eva Solomon, race director, Epic Races.

USA Triathlon collaborated with USA Cycling to provide exceptional educational and networking opportunities, including three educational pathways for coaches: Technical Knowledge, Growth and Development, and the Business of Coaching, with cycling-specific curriculum and speakers incorporated throughout each track.

Race directors learned via expert-led work sessions — including medical, safety and business planning — and workshops to set them up for their most successful season yet. Race director-specific content included marketing events for a sold-out 2024 season, finding and retaining athletes, how to make your event more sustainable and timing and reporting best practices.

Endurance Exchange also featured "Tri Tank" Presented by USA Triathlon Partner TicketSocket, in which race directors presented their most innovative ideas to engage the multisport community in a "Shark Tank" inspired competition. The winner of Tri Tank was Theresa Rodin, leader of the nonprofit, i-tri which empowers adolescent girls through the sport of triathlon. Based in New York, i-tri works with middle-school aged girls, supporting the group through training for a youth-distance triathlon as a metaphor for life’s journey. A USA Triathlon Foundation Impact Partner, i-tri has created an inclusive, community-based program that fosters self-respect, personal empowerment, self-confidence, positive body image, and healthy lifestyle choices for adolescent girls.

As the Tri Tank winner, i-tri received a cash prize from TicketSocket — the second and third-place finishers in Tri Tank also donated their winnings from TicketSocket to i-tri, for a total of more than $3,000. The fourth-place winner also donated their prize — a Rudy Project helmet and Rudy Project sunglasses to Rodin and i-tri.

Attendees also heard from Olympian and IRONMAN 70.3 champion Taylor Knibb and Paralympian Mohamed Lahna, who discussed their training and shared insights as elite professional triathletes. Knibb is qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and Lahna is qualified for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Attendees learn and connect at Endurance Exchange.

Attendees at Endurance Exchange enjoyed an expo with industry exhibitors, including USA Triathlon corporate partners and other endurance sports brands that showcased the latest products and innovations in the endurance sports community.

Race directors and USA Triathlon Certified Coaches at Endurance Exchange had the opportunity to earn 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to further their professional development. In addition to having access to all sessions, expo and networking happy hours, attendees will be able to access all record sessions on-demand.

Sessions will also be available to watch for CEUs at USA Triathlon’s education platform, triathlonlearning.com.

“I believe everyone who is involved in the multisport world should come to Endurance Exchange because it’s (a chance to learn new) information. You get to engage with people, you get to connect with new people, you get to ask questions that you might not get to ask your coach," said Michanda Myles, Host of Tri Beginner’s Luck Podcast and Endurance Exchange emcee. "It’s good to come and hear from other peer advocates and be with those who are like-minded.”

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