February, 2009 (Tampa, FL) — World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of Ironman, Ironman 70.3 and Iron Girl, has announced the growth of its brand portfolio.
IronKids, the newest member of the WTC family, will consist of a triathlon series for youth ranging in age from 6 to 15 years old. The 2009 IronKids National Triathlon Series will kick-off in triathlon's hotbed, San Diego, California, and will move to locations such as St. Petersburg, Florida, Raleigh, North Carolina and Tucson, Arizona. National partners such as Aqua Sphere, CLIF Bar, Foster Grant, Life Science Nutritionals and Timex will support the series in 2009.
IronKids National Triathlon Series
- San Diego, California — May 2, 2009
- St. Petersburg, Florida — June 7, 2009
- Raleigh, North Carolina — July 5, 2009
- Carmel, Indiana — July 19, 2009
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — August 9, 2009
- Avon, Colorado — September 6, 2009
- Alpharetta, Georgia — September 13, 2009
- Tucson, Arizona: National Championship — October 4, 2009
Distances for the IronKids Events will utilize the traditional swim-bike-run format, but will vary depending on the age of participants. Distances include:
- Junior (ages 6 to 8): 50-yard swim, 2-mile bike and 500-yard run
- Intermediate (ages 9 to 11): 150-yard swim, 4-mile bike and 1-mile run
- Senior (ages 12 to 15): 300-yard swim, 8-mile bike and 2-mile run
WTC acquired IronKids from the Sara Lee Corporation, who had owned the event series since 1985. IronKids' Races have seen more than 40,000 participants in its history. IronKids has introduced some of the sport's greats, with past participants including seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, and U.S. Olympians Hunter Kemper and Laura Bennett.
Michelle Payette, who joined WTC in 2008, will use her experience in event management to oversee the IronKids branded event series. Based in Phuket, Thailand, for nine years, Payette served as Race Manager for Ironman Malaysia and for the Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Most recently, Payette was managing events for Tourism Whistler (B.C. Canada) on behalf of the resort community.
Payette comments, "The IronKids mission is to inspire and motivate youth through sport to lead an active, positive and healthy lifestyle. We are excited to provide families with an event weekend experience that is educational, interactive and fun."
To ensure IronKids leaves a footprint throughout the U.S., IronKids will develop a legacy program that will focus on educating students on the importance of nutrition and physical activity, to encourage children to adopt the IronKids lifestyle.
Registration for the 2009 IronKids Triathlon Series is now open. Click on the event locations above to visit the registration page. For more information on IronKids, visit www.ironkids.com.
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