500 Cats

We recap a very busy few weeks including Kona, LT Games, Big Sugar and IRONMAN California — with helicopters, slushie machines, questionable electrical work, 2.8 million viewers and a surprising number of things that somehow worked.

Basically, 10 pounds of events in a 5 pound sack.

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If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on social for more behind-the-scenes content and updates on future episodes!

Grit grows on trees at IRONMAN. Apparently.

From the pool deck in Kona, we sit down with Ben O’Donnell, who went from 28 days in the ICU with COVID to racing IRONMAN again — and is now taking on the World Championship. Then our old friend Mike Reilly joins us to talk finish lines, inspiration, retirement, and what he misses about being the Voice of IRONMAN.  

Somewhere in there, Mike also attempts to explain what BCC does. Apparently, we make banners.

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500 Cats is back! This time, from Kona.

We catch up on a summer of event chaos and ask a surprisingly difficult question: What does BCC actually do? So we enlist Ryan Lobato, Kenny Withrow, and Bob Babbitt to help figure it out. Bob responds by taking us on an unexpected and excellent trip through the history of triathlon.

Turns out, nobody really knows what we do. But apparently we’re pretty good at it.

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After a six-month hiatus, the 500 Cats crew is back in the studio! It turns out all it took to get us rolling again was a handful of people at IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder demanding to know where we went. 

In this episode, we look back at a wild, jam-packed production season. We break down the logistical chaos of live broadcasting Sea Otter, racing between two major events separated by only 48 hours, and debuting the brand-new LiveU LU900 backpacks at the IRONMAN North American Championship in Texas. 

We also recount the absolute epic that was Life Time Grand Pr...

In this episode of 500 Cats, the team takes a breather during the rare "event off-season" to reflect on a massive year of production. While they usually spend this time skiing, the unusually warm weather has them in the office focused on inventory, redesigning travel applications, and catching up on much-needed sleep.

The crew reveals the results of a company-wide vote on their Top 5 Favorite Events from the past year. From the sheer technical complexity of a massive ranch-based production to the high-altitude challenges of Colorado's most iconic bike race, they break down what...

In Episode 32, we kick things off with a recap of the Louisville Turkey Trot, where the team volunteered and filmed to support the Community Food Share. But the warm fuzzy feelings end there as we dive into the absolute disaster that was our trip to Qatar.

What was supposed to be a standard broadcast installation turned into a travel nightmare. We recount the journey from hell, featuring a passenger vaping in the bathroom, a "cattle car" flight experience, and a vomiting incident in the aisle.

Things didn't improve upon landing. After navigating abandoned cables from...

When live event professionals try to leave the country and the airlines say, “Absolutely not.”

In this episode of 500 Cats, Dave and Marcus attempt to fly to Qatar for the Samla 200, only to have their flight canceled on the train to the gate and rebooked into a 42-hour, five-airport hostage situation. Meanwhile, we still have bags that are emotionally recovering from a previous trip to Spain, where $2,000 in luggage fees bought them a 10-day delay and some very unintentionally “just-in-time” broadcast gear.

Along the way they roast out-of-office auto-responders (again), relive the chaos and glory of IRONM...

The BCC Live crew recaps nine wild events—from Ironman Kona to the LT Games in Minneapolis and Ironman Florida. Hear behind-the-scenes chaos, broadcast hacks, and heartfelt moments with the One Percent Better team. Tape, travel, tech, and teamwork—this is life on the road doing what we love.

Thanks for tuning in to 500 Cats!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on social for more behind-the-scenes content and updates on future episodes!

The 500 Cats crew takes the show to Chattanooga, Tennessee, during IRONMAN Chattanooga. Joined by race director Brian Myrick, volunteer director Alex High, regional director Ryan Richards, and athlete-turned-staffer Daniel Allemond, this episode dives into the heart of what makes the event business special: community, dedication, and the people behind the scenes. From stories of leadership and high expectations to inspiring tales of perseverance through cancer, the conversations capture the passion, grit, and friendships that fuel endurance events.

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Welcome to Episode 28! The Backwards Episode. We're giving you a rundown of all the events we've done since our last episode, but in reverse order. Why? Literally no reason! Come along the journey with us as we explore the ups and downs of the last few weeks and go yet again into our old standby of complaining about negative comments. But seriously, why do people have to be so negative? It's great to have you all on this journey with us, we hope you enjoy! But if you don't, you don't have to leave a comment. ;)

Also...

Welcome to Episode 27! We start by airing our grievances about "the least successful project" we've ever been a part of. It involves broken hardware, gross incompetence from Dell, and a $5,000 TV that we had to "eat".

Then, we get into the main event: a recap of Gravel Worlds. We cover how a last-minute rainstorm turned a bike race into a "peanut butter mud" mess and the best footage we’ve ever seen of cyclists getting stuck. We also discuss what makes the Gravel Worlds broadcast different from other events, the importance of the "regular" athlete, and why we...

In Episode 26, the hosts of 500 Cats discuss their recent experiences working on live broadcasts and operations for various events, highlighting the challenges and successes of each one.

Key topics include:

Episode 25 of "500 Cats" dives into the thrilling world of extreme endurance races and broadcast challenges. The hosts recap their intense two weeks, which included covering the IRONMAN Lake Placid, and the FoCo Fondo in Fort Collins, Colorado. The episode also highlights the inclusivity of races like FoCo Fondo with their non-binary category, and shares anecdotes from site visits, including a challenging reconnaissance of the Leadville 100 course. The team looks ahead to upcoming events like IRONMAN Canada and the Littleton Twilight Criterium, and shares their excitement for Gravel Worlds, an event known for its unique culinary experiences (at least for...

🔥 Amazingly Enough Episode 24: Lake Life, Race Highs, & Pro Swagger! 🔥

The AmazinglyEnough crew is back in the Boulder studio, dusting off the desert from a "work trip" to Lake Powell that was anything but typical! We toted podcast gear to the middle of nowhere and... didn't use it. Instead, we soaked up 103-degree heat, dodged sleep in a "hunk of junk" houseboat (seriously, if there was a fire, someone would "put it out when they're done with this"), and enjoyed the slowest work week ever thanks to you, our amazing customers, who clearly listened to our "we're...

Welcome back to 500 Cats, episode 23! This week, we dive into the recent IRONMAN Frankfurt, celebrating Kristian Blummenfelt's incredible run and discussing the controversial penalties that stirred up social media. We also share our frustrations with the rampant negativity and "keyboard warriors" in online comments, contrasting it with the overwhelmingly positive community surrounding the Western States 100 broadcast. Plus, we're joined by pro triathlete Justin Metzler, who shares his perspective on dealing with online negativity, his career inflection point, and his passion for coaching. We wrap up by pondering the motivation behind online hate and sharing some inspiring words on spreading...

Welcome back to 500 Cats, Episode 22! After a much-needed (and very busy) hiatus, the team is here to dish on the trials and tribulations of event production, starting with their number one pet peeve: auto-responders. Find out why these "out-of-office" emails are a "plague in the event business" when you're literally on-site with the sender.

Thanks for tuning in to 500 Cats!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on social for more behind-the-scenes content and updates on future episodes!

This week, the Cats navigate triathlon mayhem as usual – rookie wetsuit disasters, risky drone maneuvers, and questionable audio setups. But when an actual forest fire breaks out mid-broadcast (no, seriously), they carry on unfazed. There may have been a brief dive into politics too, but don’t worry, that didn’t make the final edit. Just another day at 500 Cats – where fires can’t stop us, but common sense probably should.

Thanks for tuning in to 500 Cats!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your...

After a "significant hiatus" and a whirlwind of 31 events since January 30th, the 500 Cats crew is back for Episode 20! Dave, Marcus, and Dylan dive into the madness of their incredibly busy schedule, recounting tales from the front lines of event production.

Relive the drama of Rock and Roll Las Vegas, the rollercoaster ride that was Sea Otter, the team's triumphant comeback at Levi's Gran Fondo, GPS devices at IRONMAN Texas, the success of the Boulder Boulder running race, and the groundbreaking live broadcast of Unbound Gravel – a 200-mile race previously deemed impossible to cover live.

Pl...

Join us as we dive deep into the world of airline status, uncovering the truth behind the points game and sharing our own frustrating experiences. We'll also explore the latest advancements in video transmission technology, including DJI's new transmitter/receiver and our plans to capture epic footage with motorcycle-mounted cameras. Plus, we'll discuss the pros and cons of different action cameras, from GoPros to Insta360s, and share our recommendations for capturing your own adventures.

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In this episode of 500 Cats, the team is buzzing with excitement as they recount early 2025 event highlights and dive into cutting-edge tech projects. From the smooth success of Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona to navigating the challenges of waterproofing GPS trackers, the crew balances innovation with real-world problem-solving. They also geek out over drones, discussing their role in live broadcasts and the intricacies of turning consumer drones into professional tools. With humor, teamwork, and plenty of field-tested wisdom, the team is setting the stage for an ambitious year ahead.

Highlights:

•Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Re...