Triathlonomics: How and Why an Always Inclusive Mass Participation Sport Became Exclusive Economically

Economic organization of participatory sports as an ‘industry’ is analyzed with regard to triathlon, where global governance is contested by non-profit and for-profit bodies. In Europe, this multisport can be seen as an incomplete case of the European sports model, where a network of grassroots non-profit organizations co-owns the sport and co-creates participation for themselves. Research into the economic history of triathlon has shown a long-term, profit-driven expansion into non-profit participatory sports domains. The impact of commodification has been identified, including manifold increases in entry fees, problems with governance within these domains, and a squeeze on resources for the non-profit sector. Average entry fees and event production reveals paradoxes, including the fact that non-profit organizers charge two or three times less for participation than for-profit ones, while the latter actively use monetary subsidies from local authorities and unpaid volunteer labour to produce premium-targeted events. Discovered tensions between non-profit and profit-driven organizers are theoretically explained by Karl Polanyi’s ‘double movement’. A two-sector model of the participatory sports industry demonstrates that for-profit event providers require rich participants only, whereas the gift economy of non-profit organizers ensures participation for everyone and a threefold growth for related businesses.