Since his appointment as CEO of The IRONMAN Group in early 2024, Scott DeRue has embarked on a transformative journey that goes beyond practical leadership. Over the past several months, DeRue has immersed himself fully into the world of IRONMAN endurance events, not just as an executive, but as a physical participant too. For this reason, M&F were excited to sit down with the boss to find out how he came to his current role, how he juggles training with business targets, and what the future holds for endurance sports in general.
By engaging with the athletes and even taking part in the events, you have positioned yourself as the ideal man to foster IRONMAN’s reputation as a global leader in endurance events. But what led you to your current role as CEO?
I had the privilege of serving as the Dean of the Business School at the University of Michigan. It was a tremendous honor and a privilege to be able to work with students from around the world. I then had the opportunity to go serve as President of Equinox (the luxury fitness and health club company) where I was part of an extraordinary team that rebuilt following the pandemic. All my past career moves have been centered on creating experiences for people that help them live healthier, happier, and more joyful lives.
So, when The IRONMAN Group called and was interested in what my vision might be for how we could transform the athlete experience and really take it to the next level, I knew we would be a great fit – for not only what The IRONMAN Group can do, but also the power of endurance sports across all disciplines. As a runner, cycler, mountain biker, and overall endurance athlete who’s followed The IRONMAN Group for many years, they had me at hello!
How would you best sum-up the IRONMAN brand to newbies?
The IRONMAN Group creates experiences that inspire. If you want to challenge yourself, if you want to discover your true potential, if you want to experience the joy that comes from achieving something that maybe you didn’t even think was possible, competing in one of our portfolio’s races is for you!
When did your own love of endurance sports begin?
I grew up in North Carolina and played traditional American sports such as basketball and football. It wasn’t until college that I got into long distance running and endurance sports. During college, I found some friends who were runners and so I started running with them. As my career started to unfold, I got interested in mountaineering, and for the last two decades, I’ve had the opportunity to climb the tallest mountains in the world. (In March, DeRue is hoping to complete his goal of climbing his seventh summit).
I started running long distances and getting more into endurance sports to train for mountaineering. What I came to learn about myself is that I love the ‘joy of stuff’. I love the training process as much, if not more, than the actual destination or the race itself. It was when I started getting serious about mountaineering that I found a love for endurance sports, and I completed the Gobi March Ultramarathon in 2023.
You also tackled your first IRONMAN event during your first year as CEO in 2024. How do you manage training alongside your business role?
In October, 2024, I completed my first event at our half-distance IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina triathlon in 5:45:08. Like many of our athletes, we are juggling many balls in the air at the same time. First and foremost, it’s important to have a team around you that is supportive in you achieving your goals, even if those goals are difficult and include making sacrifices. I get up early in the morning. I sometimes come home late at night. I’m training before or after work. Everybody has their own version of training.
Absolutely. Can we dig into how you like to train?
I enjoy running long distances without a route or a destination in mind, and I especially love running in the mountains or along the water in Florida. I’ve really came to develop a love for cycling that I didn’t know I had. I’d never really cycled before starting to train for my first IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon, so I got a bike and like many of our first timers, just started and figured it out along the way. You eventually find some friends to train with who give you advice. Running for me is my first passion, but I really came to love cycling — going out on a Saturday and riding for a few hours around the islands of Florida.
The swimming portion was harder for me but one of the most helpful things was our partnership with TriDot, a digital training platform. I used it to personalize my coaching and education, so I didn’t have to think about my plan. It was personalized to me and even if I missed a day, it would update automatically.
I usually train 4-5 times a week. When I am really focused and when I have a specific goal in mind, my training can go up to six days a week. My sessions during the week will be about an hour a piece and then on the weekends I’ll train for a few hours.
Has the IRONMAN community inspired you to push harder after your first year?
I’m lucky to witness so many inspiring athletes and some of the most inspiring moments come from those last hours at the IRONMAN finish line. I remember the first triathlon I went to was the Anzco Foods IRONMAN New Zealand, back in March 2024. One of the last finishers was a more senior athlete who, the previous year, had missed the finish cut-off time by a couple of minutes but this time he crossed the line with just seconds to spare. That’s a moment I will never forget!
Watching Billy Monger set a record as the fastest double amputee at this past year’s IRONMAN World Championship in Kona was incredibly inspiring too. Being able to understand his journey and getting to meet him and see just how humble he is and how dedicated he is to inspiring others was incredible. We have athletes who overcome all different types of obstacles in life.
Looking at UTMB World Series this past year, Vincent Bouillard, who won the men’s race, is not even an elite professional athlete. He’s a HOKA employee. That would be the equivalent of an IRONMAN employee going and winning the IRONMAN World Championship. Insane! Katie Schide also smashed the record for the women’s division, which was incredible to witness.
There are so many athlete stories across triathlon and trail running. That’s one of the joys of being in this role and having the privilege to be part of this team. I love getting to witness these stories first-hand and getting to know these athletes. Working on the ground, you get to appreciate and understand their journeys and how hard they’ve worked to get to that moment with all the people that have supported them.
Sports unites so many people! So, back to your business role, what do you think the future of endurance sports looks like?
I’m incredibly optimistic. In many ways, we’re in an experience economy as opposed to just a consumption economy these days. In endurance sports, and in particular participation sports, we’re creating a platform for experiences that people find purpose and meaning in and want to be a part of. I’m also very optimistic because people are investing in their own health and wellness to a greater degree than ever before. Five-to-ten years ago, nobody was talking about longevity.
Now everybody’s talking about it and we’re seeing athletes become able to perform at a higher level much longer and later in their careers. And that’s true not only for pros, but our amateur and age group athletes as well. Those are strong tailwinds for the future of endurance sports because we’re a platform for people to better themselves and to invest in their own health, wellness and fitness at the same time!
To get involved in IRONMAN visit: https://www.ironman.com/ and to follow Scott DeRue’s progress on Instagram click here https://www.instagram.com/scottderue/?hl=en
