A new race option has been established on the island of Puerto Rico for triathletes. The main focus seems to be on the new Half Iron distance triathlon, but the event will also feature a Half Iron Duathlon and a Sprint distance triathlon.

Triathlon: Puerto Rico HALF IRON Triathlon
When: Sunday, April 20, 2008 @ 7:00 AM
Where: Puente Herrera, Loíza, Puerto Rico
Divisions: Age Group, Teams
Website: www.prtri.com

The race will take place just east of the city of Loíza which is about 25 mile east of San Juan. The Half Iron distance race will consist of a 1.2 mile Swim, 56 mile Bike, 13.1 mile Run. The race will also offer a Relay option (teams made up of three people). The Half Iron Duathlon will consist of a 56 mile Bike and a 13.1 mile Run while the Sprint distance triathlon will feature a 750me Swim, 20km Bike and 5km Run. The swim will be in the ocean, the half iron distance race will have a two loop bike course and a one loop run course.

The event will have a Beach BBQ after the race at the awards banquet.

The last Ironman race in the 2007 calendar year took place today in Busselton, Western Australia. Over 900 triathletes took the plunge down under on a perfect day after several days of rain and wind.

An incentive was announced prior to race day as event organizers offered a $50,000 USD bonus for a world record time on this fast triathlon course. Last year's champion Jason Shortis posted a time of 8:03:57, well short of the world record time of 7:50:27 set by Luc Van Lierde at the Quelle Challenge Roth in Germany (3.8km Swim, 180km Bike, 42.2km Run).

On the men’s side South African Raynard Tissink held the lead half way into the run but pre race favorite Patrick Vernay move up took the lead after that and held on for the win. On the bike, the men were on pace for a sub eight hour finish and only two minutes behind world record pace but once on the run the wind and temperatures picked up and that dashed the quest for a world record time. Tissink held on and finished in second place.

On the women’s side Australian native and last year's runner up at this race Charlotte Paul took the lead from Ali Fitch, who was blazing fast on the bike course, at the 10km mark on the run and continued on strong to take this year’s win. Paul fell short of setting a new world record time and breaking the nine hour barrier but her time of 9:00:56 smashed the course record set by Lisbeth Kristensen by almost 10 minutes. Gina Ferguson of New Zealand moved up on Fitch and passed her to finish in second place as did Bella Comerford who finished in third place today.

2007 Ironman Western Australia Results:

New Book Celebrates Overachiever Mentality of Fastest Growing Adult Athlete Group – Triathletes

“Overachiever’s Diary” Provides Swim Training Insights Based on World Contender U.S. Army Triathlon Team Regimen

Upper Nyack, New York - Triathletes are the fastest growing competitive adult athlete group in the world. Now, a new book aims to help beginner and seasoned triathletes tackle one of the most challenging portions of a triathlon – the swim.

Overachiever’s Diary: How the Army Triathlon Team Became World Contenders, celebrates the competitive drive of all triathletes by chronicling the rigorous swim training methods of some of the greatest overachievers in the world – the West Point cadets of the Army triathlon team. Based on the team’s training regimen, Overachiever’s Diary also provides critical information, more than 100 photos, and insights that will help any swimmer improve performance and increase confidence in the water.

“It’s not about mindless sets, or swim ‘toys’ like kickboards,” author and Army triathlon swim coach Louis Tharp said. “Overachiever’s Diary is about testing psychological and physical limits in the practice environment so you can improve your performance and achieve victory in competition.”

Overachiever’s Diary brings to life the story of the internationally recognized Army Triathlon team through the informative, inspiring and often humorous emails of coach Louis Tharp, a competitive swimmer, World Masters and Gay Games medalist. Under the direction of Coach Tharp and other coaches – and thanks to the determination of the cadets – the Army triathlon team, in 2007, took home an individual gold in Age Group Nationals, placed fifth overall in Collegiate Nationals, and earned an individual bronze medal in the International Triathlon Union World Competition in Hamburg, Germany.

Here is another option if you missed your chance to register for the now sold out 2008 Nautica New York City Triathlon, which sold out in six hours this year. The Nautica New York City Triathlon is a premier Olympic distance triathlon held in New York City and is one of the races in the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Series. Next years race is scheduled for Sunday, July 20, 2008.

Accelerade, the official sports drink of the New York City Triathlon, has made 15 entries available to Athletes for a Cure through a special online auction. You now have another chance to participate in this sold out event and at the same time raise money that will provide researchers with the funding necessary to find better treatments, diagnostics and ultimately a cure for prostate cancer.

The eBay auction is currently open and ends on December 14th, 2007 at 11:48:41 PST. The starting bid for one of the 15 entries available through the eBay auction is $500.
To place bid go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160187577992

Winners will be notified by email.

Clif Bar has two new products if your triathlon off-season or base building workouts take you outside this winter. Recognizing the specific nutrition needs of winter athletes, the company expanded its CLIF SHOT brand specifically creating hydration and recovery drinks that target the unique needs of cold weather athletes with flavors that match the season. You still need to stay hydrated and replenish your body this winter, that’s why they have introduced their all-new CLIF SHOT Hot Electrolyte and Recovery beverages. Now we have hot drinks for warming up, hydrating and refueling before, during or after cold a cold winter workout.

CLIF SHOT Electrolyte Hot Apple Cider - Warm up and hydrate yourself on those icy-cold days with CLIF SHOT Electrolyte Hot Apple Cider. Unlike coffee or tea, this sports drink has the perfect blend of electrolytes and carbohydrates to fuel your chilly adventure. One self-serve packet mixed with hot water makes 16 oz. of Hot Apple Cider. Contains 97% Organic Ingredients. (MSRP: $1.50)

CLIF SHOT Recovery Hot Chocolate - Now cold weather athletes can recover in a new way. CLIF SHOT Recovery Hot Chocolate is the ideal blend of protein, carbohydrates and amino acids to aid in muscle repair and hydration immediately following cold weather endurance activities. One self-serve packet mixed with hot water makes 8 oz. of Hot Chocolate. Contains 87% Organic Ingredients. (MSRP: $1.70)

Santa Rosa, CA (December 10, 2007) - TriChic, a company dedicated to female triathletes, has announced dates and locations for its fourth annual TriChic Triathlon Camps, March 6–9, 2008, Clearwater, Fla., and April 24-27, 2008, Calistoga, Cal. The professionally-coached, women-only training camps are limited to 35 participants.

“Unlike most camps, TriChic programs are designed for women,” says Brenda Gilchrist, president, TriChic. The company provides thoughtfully planned, coached workouts, gourmet box lunches and a group dinner, welcome packages, and enjoyable locations like California’s wine country and sunny Florida. World-class, professional coaching and challenging training are definitely part of the plan.

Long-time coach, speaker, author, and former professional triathlete, Terri Schneider, developed the camps’ in-depth swim, bike, run, and transitions training, and seminars on nutrition, racing strategies and sports psychology. “The TriChic coaches are accomplished in so many ways and will educate and inspire the women to hopefully have their best season ever.”

Uncertainty loomed when the second Ironman Arizona race was announced, would triathletes embrace the new fall triathlon event, would it sell out and if so how long would it take.

Ironman Arizona in not like other North American Ironman races that sell out in a matter of hours. It's typical for this race to sell out in a few months versus a few hours. The original race scheduled for April 13, 2008 sold out in July, three month after registration opened. We think the original race cap was 2,000 but North America Sports currently shows over 2,700 participants have registered.

Most triathletes were caught off-guard with the announcement of the second Ironman race in Tempe in 2008. It didn’t take long for word to travel because now its official, the second Ironman Arizona race scheduled for November 23, 2008 is now SOLD OUT and it only took two weeks to do so. This event currently has over 2,300 triathletes registered according to North America Sports for the second triathlon race in Tempe, AZ.

It’s seems that demand is high for Ironman branded races in North America. Even with a date so close to the Thanksgiving holiday and a registration price increase ($500.00) the second Ironman Arizona race sells out. That's roughly over $1,150,000 in registration fees alone for the second race, amazing!

The 50 state qualifier triathlons for the 2008 Best of the U.S. National Championship race have been announced. The fastest male and female resident amateur at each of the triathlons earns the right to represent themselves and their state at the Best of the U.S. Championship. Most of the 2008 state qualifying events remain unchanged but 16 states get new qualifier events.

The 4th Annual Best of the U.S. National Championship triathlon race will move to the Soma Quarterman Triathlon in Tempe, AZ on Sunday, October 26th, 2008. The triathlon event will consist of a 1000me Swim, 30mi Bike, 6.55mi Run.

For more information on the Best of the U.S. Amateur Triathlete Competition, visit www.bestoftheustriathletes.com

Two new Olympic distance triathlons in the San Francisco bay area have been added to the 2008 California triathlon race schedule. The races will mark both ends of the racing season with one triathlon at the beginning of the season and the other at the end of race season. Both triathlons will consist of a 1.5km Swim, 40km Bike, 10km Run course.

Triathlon: Battle in the Bay Triathlons
When: Saturday, April 5, 2008
Where: Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, USA
Divisions: Age Group, Collegiate, Teams
Website: www.battleinthebaytriathlon.com

- A new race on a tried and tested course which will bring nation's top age group and collegiate athletes to Treasure Island for a battle of colleges, a battle of the sexes, and a battle of the ages. The Battle in the Bay Triathlons will feature the Championship race for the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference, the West Coast Team Championship category and an age group open option with an equalizer option as well.

Triathlon: Marin County Triathlon
When: Sunday, October 26, 2008 @ 8:00 AM
Where: McNears Beach County Park, San Rafael, California, USA
Divisions: Age Group, Relay Teams
Website: www.marintriathlon.com

- Touted as "not an easy walk in the park" event. Triathletes will face a challenging cold water swim in San Pablo Bay from McNears Beach. Then a one loop of rolling hills bike course through China Camp State Park with lots of elevation changes. And then a scenic, soft trails run along the Shoreline Trail in China Camp State Park. The race will be limited to 1,000 participants.
- Net proceeds from the Marin County Triathlon will benefit these organizations: Lupus Foundation of America and Girls on the Run.

Iron Girl, the premier all-women’s event based brand, has posted its 2008 schedule of events and it includes a new triathlon event in Las Vegas, Nevada. They currently have a schedule consisting of 10 events across the country. Iron Girl feature a variety of running, duathlon and triathlon events to females of all fitness levels. The 2008 Iron Girl calendar looks like this:

  • April 5 - Clearwater, FL – Run (10K & 5K)
  • April 12 - Las Vegas, NV - Triathlon (Olympic & Sprint)
  • May 4 - Denver, CO – Run (5k & Mother/Daughter 2-Person Team)
  • June 4 - Solana Beach, CA - Run (10k & 5k)
  • June 29 - Atlanta, GA – Triathlon (Sprint)
  • July 20 – Irving, TX – Triathlon (Sprint), Aquabike, Duathlon
  • August 24 - Columbia, MD – Triathlon (Sprint)
  • September 7 - Seattle, WA – Run (10K & 5K)
  • September 21 - Bloomington, MN – Duathlon
  • December 2 - Tempe, AZ – Run (10k & 5K)

The inaugural Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas International Triathlon will feature Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons. The Olympics distance event will consist of a 1.5km Swim, a 40km Bike and a 10km Run while the Sprint distance triathlon will consist of a 400me Swim, a 10.6mi Bike and a 3.1mi Run. The course will start with a swim in the pristine waters of Lake Las Vegas and continue with a challenging bike route through Lake Mead National Recreation Area and end with a run along the grounds of the scenic Lake Las Vegas Resort. This new event should attract women ranging in age and fitness levels from across the country.

The Iron Girl triathlon event in Irving, Texas in July will feature a 500me Swim, a 20km Bike and a 5km Run. The Sprint distance triathlon in Columbia, Maryland in August will feature a .62mi Swim, a 17.5mi Bike and a 3.4mi Run.

Victoria, BC, Canada (December 19th, 2007)
Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series Opens for Registration January 1st
Series Expands with Addition of New Balance Half Iron, Season Pass Introduced

LifeSport Coaching announced today that the 2008 Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series will expand with the addition of the very popular New Balance Victoria Half Iron. This race is one of the premier triathlon events in Canada and strengthens an already impressive line up of Half Iron/Sprint races which showcase the beautiful west coast of Canada. LifeSport also announced the introduction of a limited edition “Seasons Pass” enabling athletes to enter as many races, in any of the disciplines, for one low price. Registration for the Series will open January 1st at www.lifesport.ca .

The Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series will include four international triathlon events with Half Iron, Sprint, Relay, and Kids races. The events will attract all ages and levels of triathletes from first-timers to the top elite athletes in the sport. The Series will kick off with Canada’s only May long distance triathlon in picturesque Shawnigan Lake featuring the Trans Canada trails. Next up will be the perennial sell-out New Balance Half Iron held on the edge of beautiful Victoria at scenic Elk Lake. In July, Vancouver will play host the third stop on the Series in the magnificent setting of the Spanish Banks beaches framed by the backdrop of the city skyline and panoramic North Shore Mountains. The final race in the Series will be contested in the beautiful ocean side community of Sooke on the south western tip of Vancouver Island.

2008 Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series Dates

Race #1 – May 25 - Subaru Shawnigan Lake International Half-Iron
Race #2 – June 22 - New Balance Victoria Half Iron
Race #3 – July 13 - Subaru Vancouver International Half-Iron
Race #4 – Sept.14 - Subaru Sooke International Half-Iron

Ironman Japan is unlike other Ironman events around the world where they announce and open registration for the following years race the day after the current year’s race, maybe because it doesn't sell out like other popular Ironman races.

The date for the 8th running of the Ironman Japan triathlon has been announced. The race will take place on Sunday, June 22, 2008 in Goto, Nagasaki, Japan. Sunday, June 22nd will be a popular Ironman day around the world since Ironman France and Ironman Coeur d'Alene will also take place on this day. The race website states that registration will open sometime in January.

A couple of months ago Asia gained another Ironman race with the announcement of the Ironman China race set to take place in Haikou, Hainan, China. Now comes the news that Asia will lose an Ironman triathlon race. An announcement on the Ironman.com website states that Jeju, Korea, will not play host to an Ironman event in 2008. Jeju hosted the 7th running of the Ironman Korea triathlon this past August. If you don't know or remember, Chrissie Wellington, the current Women's Ironman World Champion, won that race as a rookie pro and that got her a slot to Hawaii just two month before the championship race. The WTC statement is vague, in the sense that it only states that it won't host a race in 2008 which leaves it open for a possible future race. We will have to see...

Eden Prairie, MN (December, 27 2007) - SCS Multisport will be holding open tryouts for the 2008 Batteries Plus Minnesota Junior Elite Triathlon Team on Sunday February 3rd, 8am at the SCS Multisport Studio, 6545 Flying Cloud Dr. Eden Prairie, MN 55344. All triathletes ages 16-22 are invited to come out and see if they have what it takes to be a 2008 MJET.

The tryouts will consist of a 500 yard pool swim, 10k Computrainer time trial and a one mile outdoor run. The tryouts will be run in a head to head format with 8 swimmers testing at a time, up to 8 bikers testing at one time using the Computrainer Multirider System on the “Computrainer 10k TT” course, and each gender group racing a one mile course outdoors. Short “transition times” will be allotted for each group between events. Athletes will be selected based on their three event times and a short interview with SCS Multisport Coaches.

MJET’s has been selected as a USA Triathlon Junior High Performance Team. With this designation, MJET’s athletes will compete with and against other top level Junior and U23 athletes throughout the United States. USAT’s support of MJET’s proves the top quality level of design and leadership the program has come to quickly represent.