Courtesy: USAT

Athletes from 49 states and the District of Columbia will converge on Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 13 for USA Triathlon's premier event of the season: the 2005 National Age Group Triathlon Championships.

Registration for nationals closed at the end of the business day on Tuesday and there will be no registration at the event.

Volunteers are still needed for the race. If you will be in the area and would like to volunteer, please contact Mark Livesay at mark@ultramaxtri.com.

The race is the final qualifier for the 2005 International Triathlon Union Age Group World Championships on Oct. 8-9 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The top 10 finishers in each age group will qualify.

California came through with the largest number of athletes registered at 155. Colorado is next at 84 and Texas is third with 82. The start list is 59 percent male and 41 percent female. Complete start lists are available at www.usatriathlon.org/Events/Champs_AG_national.ht m.

The Baby Boomers will be booming at this race as the men's 40-44 and women's 40-44 age groups will have the most competitors. But the "grand masters" of triathlon are not to be forgotten as they prove the importance of fitness at every age.

The oldest male competitor on the start list is Charles Futrell, 85, of The Villages, Fla. Bill Schweizer, 83, of Owego, N.Y., is also planning to race. In the women's race, Peggy Gudbrandsen, 77, of Lake Forest, Ill., will be the elder stateswoman.

Several 18 and 19 year olds have also entered in the youngest age division. The ITU recently announced that it will have an 18- 19 age group category for the world championships in Honolulu. In order to build a U.S. team quickly, USAT established an "open" division for 18-19 year olds. The top 10 finishers will qualify for Honolulu.

There will be several social events surrounding the race as well.

The USA Triathlon Women's Commission will host a breakfast for female competitors on Friday, Aug. 12. Friday evening there will be a pre-race Pasta Party. On Saturday, after the race, the USA Triathlon Age Group Commission will host a Town Meeting where USAT officials will talk with athletes and answer questions. Finally, Saturday evening will be the awards ceremony, awards dinner and post-awards party hosted by TriGenix Nutritional System.

2004 Olympic triathlon bronze medalist Susan Williams will be at the race expo on Friday from 2-4 p.m. to sign autographs and take pictures. She will also help hand out awards and attend the Town Meeting.

Former USA Triathlon Deputy Director Tim Yount will be announcing at the race.

The 2005 event sponsors include: Big Dog Sportswear, Hammer Gel, Avis Rent a Car, Gatorade and TriGenix. Brightroom Photography will be the official photographer.

Complete information about the race is available at www.usatriathlon.org/Events/Champs_AG_national.ht m.