We just learned about a site that are going to try out, Athletepath. Kelly Blake turned us onto it, I asked for more information she introduced us to Amy VanTassel. Turns out Amy VT isn’t just an Athletepath user she is also a bit of a badass. Amy agreed to give us her thoughts on the site.
Racers must register, race directors must promote, results must be posted, and friends must engage. Before Athletepath, all of these inevitabilities took place separately, and I had to take at least two extra steps to connect them. Now, when I register for races, I dive into a Facebook-like wormhole, checking out starting lists, similar events, and commenting on my friends’ race pages. By the time I’ve paid, I’ve also helped broadcast the event in the viral capacity of Twitter. It’s awesome.
In true Good to Great fashion, Athletepath is the “best at” something. To compare it with other registration sites would really be apples and oranges because it adds more social layers, especially since they’ve partnered with MapMyFitness, and I often experience the classic phenomenon of Wait, why did I log on in the first place? Race directors get more embedded features than they could dream of, allowing their registrants’ networks to do promotional work for them. In fact, add-ons and “no fee registration” eliminate the need for a race site altogether, cutting costs for directors/owners. Perhaps most importantly, moms like mine get to track what races are coming up and receive text updates, which is nice since I may be in the beer tent après race, unsure of where I left my phone.
New features are developed quickly, making staying on top of the interface a little tough. In their nascent stages, bells and whistles can either be unintuitive, or have minor hiccups. In the past year alone, the additions of individual race pages, news feed, start lists, and more have been overwhelming. That stated, I suppose it’s time for an app, but I bet they’ve got that development in the works.
There must be an Athletepath. I imagine three-to-five years from now, it will be the eminent registration and social site for endurance athletics. In my community in Portland, OR, their sharp-looking company trucker hats are popping up all over. It’s so addictive to just surf around on Athletepath that we might forget to do what the slogan on the hats read: Let’s Race!
Amy “VT” (Twitter @amyveetee) is an elite age-group triathlon competitor and champion, ranking in the top 1% globally to attain the Ironman Gold Level All-World Athlete status. Coached by her husband, pro triathlete Chris Bagg(Chris Bagg Coaching Group), VT is a perennial qualifier for USAT Age Group Nationals, and the 70.3 and Ironman World Championships. In 2014, she placed 2nd female, 6th overall at Ultraman Canada, beating the course 50-mile run record by over a half hour. Her sponsors include PowerBar, Optic Nerve Eyewear, and HiFi Cycling.
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What a great article, totally answering the question, What’s in it for me for checking out athletepath.
Seriously, parents and siblings have had a hard time elsewhere.