Lake Tahoe to become 25th race in the IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series

Having IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races on the same day in the same venue has been well received by athletes in Asia-Pacific. For 2014, IRONMAN will pilot this program in North America at IRONMAN Lake Tahoe by adding IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe.

“Lake Tahoe is a beautiful and very challenging venue,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer for IRONMAN. “Our IRONMAN Lake Tahoe triathlon introduced last year has quickly become one of the most difficult races in our series. We are thrilled to provide this dual race with the addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe – as it creates a new and unique athlete experience here in North America.”

“As IRONMAN expands globally, there is an increased desire for athletes from all regions to have similar opportunities,” said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for IRONMAN. “Lake Tahoe is the perfect venue for this program as it allows athletes with different fitness levels and goals to experience everything Lake Tahoe and the surrounding region have to offer.”

IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe leads athletes through a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run on the same terrain as IRONMAN Lake Tahoe. The IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe race will start with a single loop 1.2-mile swim in the pristine waters of North Lake Tahoe at King’s Beach. Athletes will enjoy a lakeside transition before starting a one-loop 56-mile bike course that will travel through Tahoe City before following the Truckee River past Squaw Valley and into the town of Truckee. From there, the course turns south past Northstar and climbs to Brockway Summit. Athletes will complete the bike course at Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics. Runners will proceed back up the Truckee River bike path and be treated to a relatively flat course before finishing along the cobbled corridors of the Village at Squaw Valley.

“We are pleased to expand our relationship with IRONMAN with the inclusion of IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe,” said Andy Chapman, Chief Marketing Officer for the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association. “The opportunity to showcase our region as a world-class endurance venue to athletes from around the globe fits perfectly with our human-powered sports initiative. Last year’s inaugural IRONMAN Lake Tahoe was an epic experience and we look forward to welcoming both IRONMAN Lake Tahoe and IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe athletes this fall.” Mr. Chapman highly recommends athletes book accommodations soon after registering for the event due to many properties filling up quickly.

IRONMAN is also announcing a revised bike course for IRONMAN Lake Tahoe. “Athletes want to train on the entire bike course. By replacing the section of the course which went through a private development with an exciting new section in Northstar, athletes now have the option to preview the entire bike course prior to race day,” said Keats McGonigal, Operations Manager for IRONMAN.

Updated course maps for IRONMAN Lake Tahoe can be found at www.ironman.com/laketahoe.

IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe will offer 30 age group slots to the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place on August 30, 2015 in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria.

General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe will open Monday, April 28, 2014 at 12:00 pm ET at www.ironman.com/laketahoe70.3. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Athlete inquiries may be directed to . Media may contact .