How The Decathlon Came to Life

a friendly bet among friends is now a nationwide phenomenon

Just over 8 years ago, I called a burgeoning star at money management firm, Lord Abbett & Co.  We had spent the better part of our lives bickering about who was a better athlete.  It’s a debate occurring frequently among friends, especially those who are athletic and competitive.  In fact, the debate was a consistent topic among a group of friends, not just the two us.

“Let’s settle this once and for all. We’ll have a decathlon this fall.”

He agreed and so, too, did others who had participated in the debate for years prior.  

The Decathlon was born.

A rainy, overcast weekend at the East 7th Street park in New York City welcomed 11 friends, including 1 more than slightly hung over.  We tackled 10 events, many of which still exist in today’s current version of The Decathlon.  For those requiring apparatus not found at a public park in New York City, we hailed cabs to New York Sports Clubs on Wall Street where we conquered pull-ups, dips, bench and the vertical jump.

Nevermind that our hand-written score sheet was mistakenly left in a cab during the venue transition, we measured, judged, cheered, and jeered performances throughout the day before retiring to a nearby bar for beers to mitigate the soreness that comes with 10 all-out efforts.  Thankfully, a trusty Mac laptop recorded results and calculated a leaderboard.  The winner was awarded a $15 plastic trophy.

Fast forward to 2016.

Athletes from all over the world will compete in Decathlons in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston. Many millions of funds will be raised on top of the $6M+ raised to-date to support pediatric cancer research.  Men and women who otherwise spend the bulk of their day in business attire will shed it for crisp new uniforms and toe the line for an elegantly organized day of top-flight competition.  Soon, we’ll announce a major media partnership that will beam The Decathlon into millions of homes.

For those lucky enough to secure a spot in The Decathlon, congratulations.  You will be blown away.  Former NFL players, Olympians and NCAA All-Americans who have competed on some of the grandest stages in sport return to The Decathlon because it is as close as they’ll come to recapturing such an electric atmosphere.

For the ‘weekend warriors’ who are simply piqued by The Decathlon’s cause, or the opportunity to push your physical limit in a non-endurance event, we welcome you too.

Perhaps most importantly, we thank the countless people who have made this possible.  There are so many.  

Without an incredible set of volunteers, vendors, partners, and sponsors who believed in The Decathlon since its humble beginning, I wouldn't have the privilege of writing this blog.

Here’s to fond memories, good friends, a great cause, and brighter future.

Bring it,

Dave