Utah Tri Buzz: Bringing Sexy Back! New RaceTri Owner Aaron Crosby

Thanks for the time, Aaron! We're excited to see where you'll take RaceTri in 2020 and beyond.

What can you tell us about yourself for people in our tri community meeting you for the first time?

I was born in Alaska but raised in Utah, attending Lone Peak high school and UVU. I'm a family man with 3 kids. I really got pushed into the endurance world about 7 years ago when I became the manager of the Utah Run retail store.

That got me started running and then training for triathlon, which led to some race directing as well as the timing world through The Race Time. Things ultimately didn’t work out with the store, but I kept the timing business. I’ve been timing RaceTri events for 5 years and now I'm excited to have some fun directing the races as well.

With a day job at Vivint, what motivated you to keep your timing company on the side?

When I peeled off from the store, the one thing I really liked was timing. I like directing but I wasn’t ready then. It's fun to get my nerd on with the data, expensive equipment, etc. It’s a rush on race day... stressful and chaotic, but also very satisfying. Almost every weekend I'm at an event, and I love the energy. It keeps me alive and it's great to be a part of it.

What have you learned from your experience timing races that you can now apply to running the whole show?

#1 is racer experience. That’s what makes a successful event. It's a race, but more than that it's a celebration for people who share a common interest and for the training that's gone into preparing to race. My goal is not just to get through an event, but to make it that celebration, catering to all athletes from elites to first timers.

It should be a fun, full on experience. That’s what makes races grow, that’s the difference... the ones that make it an experience and cater to the person, celebrating all they’ve done up to that point, are the races that succeed.

What are your thoughts on each of the RaceTri venues? Which are your favorites?

Honestly Ice Breaker is one of my favorites, it’s just fun. There are always really fast, experienced people there looking to test their winter training, but it's also a great first time event.

And honestly, back in the good ol' days, The Utah Half was a great event with lots of people that was really fun. Just a big open flat fast course - the plan is to get to a point where we're not battling the risk of algae and bringing it back to its roots.

Overall I like the feel of all the local events, they're all places people know and love.

High level how did the sale of RaceTri come about, and why did you decide to take the reins?

Two years ago when Aaron Shamy moved to Alaska I half-jokingly said “well I guess it’s time for you to sell the events to me.” I don’t know if that stuck but as they’ve become more and more busy there's been an ongoing conversation. Recently they said, "hey we think it’s time to transition over," so we made it happen. Several years ago I directed running events such as the Alpine and Murdock Half Marathons and the Pink series and honestly I’ve been itching to get back to directing.

Last year RaceTri chopped their races from 6 to 3, with the Utah Lake Olympic, Black Ridge and Yuba put on hold (RaceTri’s Ice Breaker, The Utah Half, and Salem Spring all qualified again for the Utah Triathlon Championship Series in 2020). Was there any debate about whether or not to bring back those races or to let them go?

This first year with all the required permits it may not be possible, but the goal is to get all 6 up and running again as vibrant and strong events. They’re all great venues, and there’s a reason they were created in the first place.

What kind of culture will you try to establish at your races? Do you foresee any changes for 2020 that you can share, or will year 1 be largely the status quo?

There will definitely be changes. Hopefully people will feel those in year 1, and each year will build on itself. Some changes will be more tangible (medals, shirts, course navigation, etc.) and others will be more intangible, striving to create the celebration feel we discussed. I have a different personality that hopefully will push through.

Going back to The Utah Half... that race used to have a lot of magic to it, and we feel it can return… what does the future hold?

It’ll be earlier in the year, so the water levels will be higher and no worries about algae. It also won't be as hot on the bike and run. It’s a focus of mine to make The Utah Half a premier event again. That's a serious distance, and The Utah Half deserves the swag and sexiness of a half iron race!

hey Utah Half... we remember you!

In your opinion what are the most common misunderstandings between athletes and RD’s (or for that matter timing companies)? How can athletes best support our local RD’s?

The funny thing is, I struggle with this when I direct. I’m a pleaser... I want people to have a good time. If I do an event and 400 people are super stoked but 2 people have a hard time, I struggle with it. Most people are absolutely wonderful. Sometimes when people don’t understand the complexity of an event, everyone else was fine with something, but they aren't. They also might think RD’s are rollin’ in cash… no, we’re actually losing money on this event, we do it for fun!

I would say, if you’re frustrated with something, give the RD an opportunity to explain and make it better. We don’t do this to make people mad, we do it to make people happy. If something isn’t up to par or you have a suggestion, please share it with good intentions and give us an opportunity to fix things.

We have a great tri community. In your opinion though what are the keys to continuing its growth & development?

Utah has grown a lot as far as interest, with a big uptick in people that do triathlon. The sad thing is that local events have had a downtick over the last several years. Making the two trends align is important to me. Our great local clubs are huge for sharing the love of triathlon with everybody. I love when a first timer says things like “That was so fun! The 5 segments, the transitions, it was awesome." Or "this got me out swimming, and I haven’t swam since I was a kid." Getting people to experience triathlon is how we keep growing it.

Why should people sign up for RaceTri races in 2020?

We need people to make it fun! Come out and see the differences and help us celebrate on race day.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I'm hoping to know more on race dates in the next month or so. I also want to be very approachable. If anyone wants to reach out or has a question, the RaceTri email is racetri@gmail.com.

As of now, the infamous ICE BREAKER is open for registration, taking place on March 28th!

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