Posted: January 14, 2005

Triathlon: Californiaman Announces New Location of Davis, CA

DAVIS, CA: J&A Productions, producer of the Californiaman triathlon, has announced they have secured a new home for the event in Davis, CA. The 2005 Californiaman (iron-distance) and Caliman Half (half-iron distance) events will be held in Davis on Saturday, September 17th, 2005. At the Dec 14th Davis City Council meeting, council members voted unanimously to approve the proposal presented by J&A owner Andy Robles to host the event in Davis. Davis was lauded by all parties as an ideal venue due to the tremendous multisport influence in town (it's home to large organized triathlon, cycling, running and swimming clubs as well as youth fitness programs) and an overwhelming amount of initial support from local athletes, city officials and 6-time Hawaii Ironman world champion and hometown hero Dave Scott.

Robles commented, "Davis will be an ideal long-term home for Californiaman in many ways. At an initial exploratory meeting with the Davis Mad Cows triathlon club, I was shocked to discover an overflow crowd of enthusiastic triathletes willing to do whatever it took to get this event to come to town. City officials like Kelly Stachowicz (Asst to City Manager) saw this energy and drove full steam ahead to the quick approval from the council. In my 14 years as a race promoter, I have never witnessed such excitement and overwhelming support to bring a triathlon to town." Dave Scott echoed the excitement, "The support and momentum by the committee to launch the Californiaman triathlon in Davis is fantastic. What better venue could be selected for an ironman event? I will be there in September to see this hometown dream come true!"

The Mad Cow club's Californiaman liaison Mary James, one of a small group who initially approached Robles with the idea of considering Davis, added, "Davis has a rich history and an active participant base of triathletes and other endurance athletes. Many of us have dreamed of bringing a big-time triathlon event to town and we are excited to make that dream a reality. Athletes will discover a very receptive town, with numerous organized swim workouts and training pools, a fantastic network of bike and running trails and healthy restaurants – you could literally take an airport shuttle to town and never need a car for your entire Californiaman stay."

The inaugural 2004 Californiaman event was held on May 22, 2004 in the nearby Sacramento suburb of Folsom, CA. Nearly 1,300 athletes took part in the full and half-distance events. The Sept 17th, 2005 event is expected to sell out quickly with a capacity of 1,000 half-distance and 1,000 full distance racers competing at the same time.

The tentative course description is as follows: The swim will take place in a small residential lake only a couple miles from the Davis city center. The bike course will consist of mostly flat terrain west of Davis, on a similar course used by the popular Winters road cycling race. To enhance the competitive experience and ensure rider safety, most of the race course will be closed to vehicle traffic. The bike-run transition and finish line will stage in central park in downtown Davis, guaranteeing a large crowd of spectators and a festive atmosphere with entertainment for the whole family. The run course will be completely flat, a scenic tour through Davis on the lauded bike trail network.

Davis has a large movement for youth fitness which will integrate well with the Californiaman. A kid's triathlon will be held in conjunction with Californiaman and a full scale expo promoting the Yolo County Children's Alliance Eradicate Childhood Obesity project will be a component of the Californiaman festival village. Davis Mad Cows Tri Club President and Children's Alliance member Dr. Steve Nowicki, a Davis Pediatrician at the MIND institute, commented, "Californiaman coming to town is a great chance to support and tie in the existing youth wellness programs and Special Olympics program in Davis. The inspiration and healthy lifestyle role model of these ironman athletes will have a positive impact on the battle against the epidemic obesity present among today's young people. Furthermore, it's a dream come true to see our young Special Olympics athletes become an integral part of an international sporting event like Californiaman."

For additional details on the Californiaman triathlon, please visit www.japroductions.com, email info@japroductions.com or call 208-762-1003.