BOULDER — Barry Siff is standing in line at a Starbucks when a pudgy middle-aged stranger strikes up a conversation. The man certainly doesn’t look like an athlete, but he notices Siff wearing gear marking him as a triathlete and wants to talk about becoming one.
“Here’s a guy who’s probably 70 pounds overweight, suit and tie, and he’s getting ready to do a ‘Splash and Dash,’ ” Siff says later with typical fervor. “He’s really excited, he wants to talk about it. He’s already talking about (doing an) Ironman. It’s really cool.”
It is, and it happens all the time to Siff, one of the great evangelists of the “multi-sport” lifestyle. He has done nine Ironmans and will do the Kona race this fall for the third time. He loves to spread the word.
A former executive at ConAgra, Siff purchased Boulder’s 5430 Triathlon (a long-course event) in 2004, adding sprint and Olympic-distance events a year later. He built his races into a nationally respected series but sold them last year to World Triathlon Corp., which owns the Ironman brand.
It seems odd not having him in charge at those races. The sprint was held this past Sunday, with the Boulder Peak (Olympic-distance) coming July 11 and the 70.3 Half Ironman on Aug. 8.
“It is a great series, and it’s homegrown,” Siff said. “People always comment about, ‘You get all these superstar athletes and amazing people,’ but it still has that Boulder feel. We did a lot of things right.”
It doesn’t hurt that the series is based in one of the great international meccas of the sport. Something like 30 to40 elite triathletes from around the world make Boulder their home. Ironman is well aware of this.
“When you look at the United States, there’s really two places that come to mind as far as Ironman training or triathlon training — San Diego and Boulder,” said Shane Facteau, Ironman director of operations. “There’s a huge culture here of athleticism and fitness.”
Siff has given the Ironman crew a tough act to follow. It seems almost redundant to call Siff passionate about the sport, because I don’t think you can do this stuff if you’re not passionate about it, but he just exudes enthusiasm for the lifestyle — and it’s infectious.
It bothers me when race directors aren’t athletes themselves. They put on “events” but may not be able to identify with the passion we bring to their races. Siff not only understands what the race consumer wants, he understands their love for the sport — and the lifestyle — and it motivated him to put on the best events he could.
And, it must be said, being passionate about a sport is no guarantee someone can put on a quality event. But Siff, 55, managed to do both while projecting a sense that we’re all in this together.
“The goal right now is to keep the quality up and not screw anything up,” Facteau said. “It’s our first year, and Barry’s still involved — he’s a consultant with us.”
Siff sold the series last year after deciding to run for Boulder city council (he lost), which he knew would eat up his time. He also felt it was time to sell. He and his wife, Jodee, were the only full-time employees, and most equivalent triathlon companies have five or more. Barry and Jodee were tired and ready to move on.
“It was good timing,” Siff said. “The opportunity to have a legacy, bringing Ironman to Boulder, I couldn’t resist. Ironman really represents the greatness of this sport.”
Siff is writing for magazines — cycling, running and multi-sport — and podcasting for Endurance Radio. He has two websites ( and ).
No matter how many elite triathletes move to Boulder or who owns the triathlon series, Siff will always epitomize the Boulder multi-sport scene for me.
“Matt Hopper, a pro from Australia, called Boulder ‘Happyville,’ ” Siff said. “He said, ‘You come to Boulder and you see all these healthy people, and they’re all smiling, they’re all happy.’ I think that goes hand in hand with being fit. I think triathlon, as much as any sport, personifies a healthy lifestyle. It’s not just going out and running 5 or 10 miles a day; it’s eating well, it’s getting sleep, and you’ve got to have some balance in your life.
“I just think it’s a great lifestyle.”
Boulder Triathlon Series
The Florida-based World Triathlon Corp. purchased the Boulder Triathlon Series last year from Barry Siff, a Boulder triathlete and event manager. WTC operates more than 50 events worldwide, including the famous Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
BTS schedule
5430 Sprint (held last Sunday): half-mile swim, 17.2-mile bike, 5-kilometer run.
Boulder Peak, July 11: 1,500-meter swim, 42K bike, 10K run (Olympic distance).
Ironman 70.3, Aug. 8: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run (Half-Ironman distance).
