Triathlon: USA Triathlon Announces 2004 Race to Athens/Race to Beijing Schedule

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 18, 2004) - 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 Cookie 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.

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.nyctri.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.