• Wall Street Journal, Friday, October 8, 2010 8:50 AM

People may feel strongly about Pampers or Pepsi or Pepto-Bismol, but it's not so strong an attraction that they'll tattoo the brand name on a body part. That's Harley's territory. And Ironman's.

Kevin Helliker tells us that World Triathlon Corp., whose 141-mile Ford Ironman World Championship takes place in Hawaii Saturday, may be messing with that mojo by adding add 13 triathlons to its lineup next year that will cover only 31.9 miles. Providence Equity Partners, a private-equity firm that purchased World Triathlon two years ago, wants to wring more profit from the Ironman brand.

"When you look at a sport that is growing 30% a year, the fact is that we have an incredible amount of demand," says CEO Ben Fertic, himself an Ironman finisher in 1996. But Kevin Carrothers, who carries an Ironman logo on his leg and has finished four races, disagrees with the decision to extend the brand. "If it's not 140 miles, it's not an Ironman," he says.

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