Wednesday, July 14, 2010 -- This Sunday, July 18, more than 2,000 professional and age group athletes will take part in the 2010 Ironman 70.3 Racine Triathlon. A professional field consisting of some of the sport's top contenders will vie for the title, to include Australians Craig Alexander, the 2008 and 2009 Ironman World Champion, and Luke Bell, a multiple Ironman 70.3 winner. On the women's side is fellow Aussie Kate Major, who won at last weekend's Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island and Canada's Magali Tisseyre, who came in first at June's Ironman 70.3 Mooseman.
One of more than 40 events in the Ironman 70.3 global series, Ironman 70.3 Racine will take athletes on a 1.2-mile swim along North Beach in Lake Michigan, a 56-mile bike through the countryside of Racine County and a 13.1-mile run on a course that features a tour of Racine Zoo and the beautiful Lake Michigan coastline. The event offers a $30,000 professional prize purse and 50 coveted slots to the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3, Presented by Ford, taking place on November 13 in one of the world's top beach destinations, Clearwater, Fla.
The sold-out event will see athletes ranging in age from 18 to 69 years old and representing more than 35 states and eight countries, with nearly 400 participants from the state of Wisconsin. A variety of inspirational athletes are racing, to include:
• Michele Wilkinson, 41, of Milton, Wisc., a breast cancer survivor and mother of two.
• Colin Grove, 39, of Verona, Wisc., who has lost more than 100 pounds in training for triathlon.
• Lisa LeClaire-Rhode, 42, of Onalaska, Wisc., who is able to live an active lifestyle following open-heart surgery.
The first wave of athletes will begin the race at 7 a.m. with additional waves entering the water every four to five minutes until 8:20 a.m. Pros leading the field are expected to finish in approximately four hours while the majority of age group participants will finish between five and eight hours. The official cutoff for the event is approximately 4:50 p.m. CDT, 8.5 hours after the start of the final swim wave.
Journalists wishing to cover the event in an on-site capacity must submit a request via e mail to Catie@ironman.com. Media credential applications will be distributed electronically and may be returned via e-mail or fax. If you are given credentials, you must secure them no later than 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 17. Credentials can be picked up at Ironman 70.3 Racine VIP Check-In, located at the Racine Civic Centre - Festival Hall (5 Fifth Street, Racine, Wisc.). VIP Check-In will be open Friday, July 16, from 2 - 6 p.m.; and Saturday, July 17, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Visit IronmanRacine.com for event information.
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