Peloton’s much-anticipated 10th annual “Turkey Burn” event, aimed at setting a Guinness World Record for the largest live cycling class, faced unexpected technical difficulties on Thanksgiving Day, according to The Verge. The event, which began at 10 AM ET, saw an overwhelming number of participants, leading to technical glitches and leaving many users unable to join.
CEO Barry McCarthy expressed his apologies for the inconvenience, acknowledging the company’s failure to meet user expectations. “We let you down,” McCarthy stated, reflecting on the event’s challenges. Despite the issues, over 37,000 members successfully participated in the live class, though the exact number of those who couldn’t access the event remains unclear.
The Peloton status page reported “elevated errors with live classes” that began shortly after the event’s commencement and lasted for about an hour, resolving at 11:07 AM ET. Participants who managed to join the live session also reported experiencing technical issues during the class. As of now, Peloton’s services have returned to normal operation.
In response to the setback, Peloton announced that the Turkey Burn class would be available on-demand. Additionally, an encore presentation of the event is scheduled for 10 AM ET on Friday, offering another opportunity for users to participate. This incident highlights the challenges of scaling digital fitness experiences to accommodate large numbers of users simultaneously. Peloton’s commitment to addressing these issues and providing alternative solutions demonstrates their dedication to their community and the importance of reliable digital infrastructure in the fitness industry.
