Posted: February 15, 2005

Triathlon: Major, Gollnick to compete at the 2005 Ralphs California Half Ironman

OCEANSIDE, Calif-2004 Ironman USA Lake Placid champion Kate Major (Australia) and two-time Ironman Wisconsin champion Heather Gollnick (Hartford, Wisc.) will compete in the 2005 Ralphs California Half Ironman set to take place on Saturday, March 19 in Oceanside.

Major had a banner year in 2004, claiming the first Ironman title of her career at Ironman USA Lake Placid. Major not only won the event, but set a new course record in the process with an overall time of nine hours, 24 minutes and 41 seconds.

The 27-year-old Australian also finished an impressive third overall at the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship and was also third at Ironman Australia this past season.

Gollnick has won three Ironman titles in her career and ranks as one of the top U.S. female competitors in Ironman triathlon.

Gollnick posted the first Ironman win of her career at the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in September of 2002. Gollnick’s overall time of nine hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds was more than 18 minutes faster than second-place finisher Yoko Okuda of Japan.

Gollnick also won the inaugural Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene title back in June of 2003 and repeated as Ironman Wisconsin champion in September of that same year.

The Ralphs California Half Ironman will take place for the fourth time in 2005 in Oceanside and on neighboring Camp Pendleton. More than 2,000 athletes are expected to take part in the event.

For more information on the Ralphs California Half Ironman log onto www.ironmancalifornia.com.