USA Triathlon has announced the four races that will make up the
2004 Race to Athens triathlon series, and the one race that will
open the Race to Beijing series.The USA Triathlon Race to Athens triathlon series has brought
important International Triathlon Union points races (also
called Continental Cup races) to the United States. Elite
triathletes from the United States and around the world can use
these races to gain points toward their ITU ranking. Athletes
must be ranked in the top 125 in the world to try to qualify for
the Olympic Games.
All races are international distance (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k
run) and the elite races are draft legal. Each race will have a
minimum prize purse of $20,000.
The 2004 Race to Athens triathlon series will open April 18 in
Honolulu, Hawaii. The Race to Athens - Honolulu is bound to
receive a lot of attention, as the first two U.S. finishers (one
man and one woman) will qualify for the U.S. Olympic triathlon
team.
The Honolulu race will be an ITU Continental Cup race and not a
World Cup race as previously announced. The elite prize purse
will be $50,000.
The elite women will race at noon and the men will start at 2:30
p.m. The elite/pro race will be preceded by the 24-Hour Fitness
Honolulu Triathlon for age group triathletes.
The Race to Athens - Honolulu will be shown on Outdoor Life
Network.
For more information, go to www.honolulutriathlon.com.
The second series race will be the Race to Athens - Tempe on May
23 in Tempe, Ariz., in conjunction with the Rio Salado age group
triathlon.
The third series race will be the Race to Athens - Bellingham on
June 13 in Bellingham, Wash., in conjunction with the Baker's
Breakfast Cookies Healthy Start International Triathlon. This
race will help determine the final two members of the U.S.
Olympic triathlon team.
All members of the team will be at the race, making it a great
opportunity for interviews, photos and autographs.
Age groupers will race first. Then, the elite women will start
at 10:30 a.m. followed by the elite men at 1 p.m.
For more information, go to www.trithecookie.com>www.trithecookie.com.
New York City will host the fourth and final Race to Athens
series race and the Ford New York City Triathlon on June 27,
almost exactly two months before the Olympic triathlon races in
Athens, Greece (Aug. 25-26).
After the age group race, elite triathletes will swim in the
Hudson River and bike and run through Central Park. Again, this
race will be an ITU Continental Cup race and not a World Cup as
in the past.
For more information, go to www.ncytri.com.
Finally, the start of the Race to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic
Games in Beijing, China, begins Oct. 2 in Orlando, Fla., at the
Race to Beijing - Orlando, in conjunction with the Downtown
Orlando Triathlon.