Posted: May 27, 2004

Triathlon: Ironman returns to Coeur d’Alene on Sunday, June 27

COUER D’ALENE, IDAHO-The second annual Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene triathlon is set to take place on Sunday, June 27 in Coeur d’Alene and surrounding Kootenai County.

The inaugural Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene, held in June of 2003, proved to be a resounding success despite brutally hot conditions. Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wisc.) and Michael Lovato (Boulder, Colo.) claimed the inaugural titles at the event, which featured more than 1,500 athletes from around the world.

The inaugural event also feature great community involvement, as more than 3,500 people volunteered for the event in 2003.

The 2004 event is expected to feature more than 1,800 athletes from around the world as well as a strong pro field.

“The inaugural Ironman in Coeur d’Alene was a resounding success,” said Ironman North America President Graham Fraser. “We expect the popularity of the event to continue to grow as more and more people compete and see the beauty of the area here in Northern Idaho.”

Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spot to the 2004 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii as well as a $50,000 pro prize purse. The event closed to general entry in late August of 2003, only two months are general entry had opened.

Ironman USA Coeur d'Alene is the first full-distanced Ironman North America event on the slate of events for 2004 and is one of only 16 full-distance Ironman events in the world and one of only four in the continental United States.

For more information on the 2004 Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene triathlon, log onto www.ironmancda.com.

Ironmanlive.com will provide live coverage focusing on the pros at the event. Race results will be posted at www.ironmancda.com, as well as www.sportstats.ca.as soon as the event is completed.