Posted: April 14, 2005

Triathlon: City of Philadelphia Triathlon locks in Triathlete Magazine, Hammer Nutrition

PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2005) – The City of Philadelphia Triathlon (www.phillytri.com) recently signed Triathlete Magazine and Hammer Nutrition as sponsors of the inaugural event scheduled for June 26, 2005. Registration closed with 1,250 athletes signed up for the Olympic-distance triathlon (1.5 km swim/40 km bike/10 km run), which will also host an all-day, consumer expo and carbo-loading dinner the day before and live music at the on-site, post-race celebration.

Encinitas, Calif., based Triathlete Magazine, the world’s largest publication of its kind with a circulation of 95,000, committed to supporting the race, and John Duke, publisher and CEO, believes, “Philadelphia is a great city with a great triathlon market, and I truly believe the City of Philadelphia Triathlon will grow into one of the largest and most popular races in the United States. We’re very excited to be involved in the inaugural event.”

“All of us at Hammer Nutrition are honored to be a part of such a prestigious event as the City of Philadelphia Triathlon. We are absolutely thrilled to sponsor the race this year and look forward to supporting it annually,” says Steve Born, senior staff member/technical advisor and event/athlete sponsorship coordinator, Hammer Nutrition, LTD, Whitefish, Mont. As the official sports electrolyte drink and nutrition sponsor, the company has committed its HEED electrolyte drink and Hammer Gel for on-course athlete aid stations, promotional packets of HEED and Endurolytes for all athletes, expo sampling and other marketing components.

Says race director Lars Beck, “Triathletes are a very educated, discerning market, and to host a world-class event, we want to involve highly respected, established companies in the triathlon industry. Our partnerships with Triathlete Magazine and Hammer play an important role in the City of Philadelphia Triathlon becoming a favorite, big-city event.”

The race reached its first-year target of 1,250 athletes in just 10 weeks of registration, and five months before the race. Sixty percent of the triathletes will come from Pennsylvania, and the other 510-plus will travel from 30 other states. Demographics are comparable to the sport’s national standard: 75% are male; and 60% of the men and 54% of the women are between 30 and 44 years old, with the field ranging from 16 to 64.

The City of Philadelphia Triathlon will feature many of Philadelphia’s most historic and picturesque sections. The challenging yet fun course includes a 1.5 km swim in the Schuylkill River, followed by a 40 km, two-loop bike course winding through Fairmount Park and past Boathouse Row, and concludes with a scenic, 10 km, out-and-back run along the Art Museum loop…without the Rocky Balboa run up the Art Museum steps.

Beneficiaries of the independent City of Philadelphia Triathlon include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s division of oncology, Police Athletic League and Fairmount Park Commission. Sponsors-to-date include Cadence Cycling Performance Center, Endless Pools, Triathlete Magazine, Wissahickon Mountain Spring Water, Penguin Brands, Sorbothane, Nathan Sports, Hammer Nutrition, Fox Rothschild Attorneys at Law, Renaissance Marble and Granite, and Savran Benson Certified Public Accountants. For media information and sponsorship and expo information sales and marketing, contact SLHCommunications, Inc., slhcomm@hotmail.com, tel. (312) 375-9500, or visit www.PhillyTri.com..