IRONMAN chief teases “exciting developments” after overseeing first IRONMAN Kona

Nine months into the job as the IRONMAN Group’s CEO, Scott DeRue has said “stay tuned for exciting developments on the horizon” for the M-Dot brand.

DeRue, the former boss of Equinox, had big shoes to fill after taking over from long-time CEO Andrew Messick.

But he has immersed himself in IRONMAN events over the course of this year – often unannounced – and also took part in his first 70.3 race at IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina recently.

‘We really miss the women’

Perhaps the most contentious issue he has to deal with so far is the split men’s and women’s IRONMAN World Championships in Kona and Nice.

Having separate race days in Kona in 2022 for the first time didn’t prove workable for the islanders, hence the current situation where one race is in Hawaii and one on the French Riviera, with the men and women alternating each year.

That’s in place up to and including 2026 but none other than Patrick Lange, who would go on to claim a third title in Kona, pleaded for a return to both racing at the same venue in his pre-race press conference.

The German legend referenced DeRue himself when he said: “It’s been great to be back [in Kona], two years seems too long. I’d love to come year every year for racing.

“And also to you Scott, we really miss the women, so please bring back the women to our race. So that would be much appreciated as well.”

‘Anything is Possible!’

It remains to be seen how that plays out but writing on LinkedIn, DeRue repeatedly referenced the IRONMAN slogan of ‘Anything is Possible!’ when looking back at the year so far.

He said: “From the outside, you will see the largest organizer of participation sports in the world. 200+ events across 50+ countries and a highly engaged and passionate community. This is what you see from the outside looking in, but in my first 9 months as CEO, I’ve been on a journey to discover who we are on the inside.

“As part of this journey, I’ve asked nearly all of our team members about their “IRONMAN Why? – why do you work at IRONMAN?” Though the specific language and wording may differ, the substance of the answer is almost universal across our team no matter the person’s role, title, or where they are in the world.

“Why IRONMAN? To create experiences that are life changing by inspiring people to believe Anything is Possible!

“When your brand, customer, and team are all aligned around a shared purpose, there are no limits to what can be achieved. We are not perfect as an organization, but we strive for it every day with a deep sense of purpose that is woven through the cultural fabric of our organization. It is this sense of shared purpose that is inspiring us to raise the bar and elevate expectations on who we can be as an organization and how we can better serve our community.

“I am incredibly honored to be part of the IRONMAN Ohana. And I want to thank our athletes, fans, and partners for your feedback these past 9 months.

Your voice is critical to us achieving our aspirations, and stay tuned for exciting developments on the horizon!

“Lastly, I want to thank our IRONMAN team. I am inspired by your leadership, teamwork, and commitment to our community. It is truly a privilege to work alongside of you each and every day.”