Inside IRONMAN: An Interview with John Poole on Race Strategy, Community Impact and Growth
When IRONMAN announced it would bring a 70.3 race to Rockford, Illinois, it marked more than just a new dot on the race map, it signaled a strategic and deeply intentional move. As North America’s race portfolio continues to expand, The IRONMAN Group is prioritizing access, community, and regional character. In Rockford, they found all three: a welcoming host city large enough to support the logistics of a world-class event and ideally situated to draw athletes from across the Midwest.
In this edition of Faces of Sports Tourism with Vice President of Business Development, North America, John Poole, we explore how The IRONMAN Group balances consistency with local flavor, what goes into curating the athlete experience, and why partnership with the host community is non-negotiable. From developing custom racecourses that showcase natural beauty to giving back via charitable grants, IRONMAN is as much about building relationships as it is about testing endurance.
John also digs into what’s next for the global brand—from carbon-conscious planning to live-broadcast innovations that bring the sport closer to fans than ever before. And behind it all, Poole shares a personal side, including the sports that shaped him and the teams that still fuel his passion.
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What factors influenced The IRONMAN Group’s decision to bring IRONMAN 70.3 to Rockford, Illinois?
Our ultimate goal is to enable as many people as possible to accomplish their dreams through crossing finish lines at our events. In order to do this, we know that we need to host races that are accessible to cities with large population bases. Based on the logistical elements that go into hosting our events, being close to, but maybe not directly in major metro areas in becoming increasingly important.
Rockford is the perfect match of having a destination that is large enough to host an event of this scale while also being accessible to people in Chicago and the broader Midwest area. In Rockford, we have been welcomed with open arms by the local community. It is clear that the city embraces the IRONMAN brand and ethos and the athletes will experience this firsthand.
How does The IRONMAN Group engage with local communities to foster support and ensure the success of events like the IRONMAN 70.3?
IRONMANwants to be in communities that want to host world-class events. A partnership where there is mutual interest is critical to the long-term success of the event. Athletes recognize when they are welcomed to a community, and they return in future years while also bringing their friends with them.
Additionally, through the IRONMAN Foundation, we provide charitable grants back to local non-profit organizations who support the event. These grants support many local initiatives that are meaningful to the community on a year-round basis, so our impact lasts much longer than just race weekend.
With IRONMAN events held globally, how do you tailor each event to reflect the unique characteristics of its host city while maintaining your core identity?
Each community is unique, and IRONMAN wants to showcase these unique destinations. This is what gets our athletes excited about traveling to many destinations for events. When we are initially planning events, we work with local officials to develop courses that showcase the best of what a destination has to offer in terms of terrain, landmarks, city views, and overall beauty. Racing along the coast in California is very different from tackling the hills in Upstate New York. Both are amazing experiences, and both are IRONMAN branded races, but they have their own unique flair to showcase the locality of each destination.
How does The IRONMAN Group ensure a consistent and high-quality experience for athletes across diverse locations?
At IRONMAN, we have a set of high-level standards which we put into practice through our team of professional event operators. These standards exist for each race regardless of destination. The experience of our extensive global team putting on hundreds of events every year enables us to rely on our experience to deliver world-class events on a consistent basis.
Are there any upcoming innovations for IRONMAN that you’re excited about?
The IRONMAN Group is always striving for ways to continue to advance the endurance landscape so more people can engage with our events in a positive way. Our IRONMAN Pro Series and the associated live broadcasts are part of this. We are trying to get the sport of triathlon and IRONMAN racing in front of more and more people. To do this we need to consistently provide compelling content.
Advances in technology are being implemented to make this a reality. For example, in the past we used cameras in helicopters to provide overhead shots of the event. Now we are mounting Starlink satellite dishes to motorcycles so our drones can provide live overhead views of the event for more sections of the courses. The spectacular views draw more people into the sport based on having access to this incredible coverage of our events.
How is The IRONMAN Group addressing environmental sustainability in its events?
The IRONMAN Group is continuously trying to improve our events. This includes partnering with local communities on environmental sustainability that makes sense for that community. There are a number of communities where we develop recycling plans for each venue. There are races where we strive for “zero waste” based on local groups who support the event.
More recently we have started to look at carbon emissions, particularly at our UTMB World Series events.
Which sport(s) do you like to watch or play the most?
My favorite sport to watch is soccer. I grew up in England and it is a sport engrained in the culture of the country. I watch the Premier League, Champions League and major international tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championships. I am also a big basketball fan, particularly at the college level. When I was in graduate school at VCU, the team went to the final four and it was an incredible experience to be a part of as a student.
I am a big fan of March Madness. Soccer and basketball were the sports I primarily played growing up. I now am an avid runner and race in various distances up to the marathon distance. I now have ambitions to do an IRONMAN 70.3 as the next step in my endurance race goals.
Who do you root for when it comes to sports teams and athletes?
I am a huge Tottenham Hotspur fan and watch every game—live or recorded. I try to go to at least one game a season in person. [Tottenham Hotspur Stadium] is also utilized for the NFL London Series and I have attended to watch the Giants vs Packers previously. My favorite athlete is former Tottenham player, Harry Kane. His Tom Brady-esque story is inspiring along with his mentality and family values.
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