This post is also available in: German

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March 6, 2012

World-class triathletes Andreas Raelert, Sebastian Kienle and Caroline Steffen to race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8, 2012 / Kai Walter: “Appreciate commitments of these top athletes and their commitment to Ironman” / Michael Raelert to debut on long-distance course at Ironman Regensburg

Thousands of amateur triathletes from around the world have already signed up for the various European Ironman events this year. Now the first prominent professionals have also added their names to the start lists of the German Ironman events. World-class triathletes Andreas Raelert (Rostock), Sebastian Kienle (Karlsruhe) and Caroline Steffen (Switzerland) will race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8. Michael Raelert, younger of the two Raelert Brothers, will race at the Ironman events in Regensburg and Wiesbaden.

Kai Walter, Managing Director of International Operations of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), says: “We are very excited about the commitments of these top athletes to our races and to Ironman. They guarantee first-class sports and hopefully great media interest. Andreas Raelert and rising star Sebastian Kienle duelling at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship will be a highlight for all triathlon fans.”

Rolf Aldag, Managing Director Germany of WTC: “Having the Raelert Brothers at the races is an upgraded to every event. Michael will also compete at the Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca and is making his long distance debut at Ironman Regensburg, which I’m particularly excited about. Andreas Raelert is certainly one of the top favorites to win the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.”

Andreas Raelert, Sebastian Kienle and Caroline Steffen will start at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8. Swiss Caroline Steffen, currently living in Australia, is defending champion in Frankfurt.

Michael Raelert will race at Ironman Regensburg (June 17) and the Sparkassen Finanzgruppe Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden (August 12).

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February 16, 2012

BERLIN TO HOST 5150 TRIATHLON AND IRONMAN 70.3

World Triathlon Corporation and BERLIN MARATHON organizers SCC EVENTS have formed a partnership to host events in Germany’s capital. A 5150 Triathlon will be held on July 1, 2012 and this will be followed by an Ironman 70.3 next year. Kai Walter: “We look forward to a great event in one of the most interesting cities in the world”.

Endurance has been at the core of SCC EVENTS’ – one of the largest organizers of running events in the world for some time. Now they are ready to take the next step as the Berlinbased company and the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) are teaming up to introduce the 5150 Triathlon to the German capital on July 1, 2012. The 5150 series is an international distance triathlon consisting of: 1,5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.

„We are impressed by the quality of the events we have seen by SCC EVENTS and we’re really looking forward to working with Jürgen Lock and his team. We want to create a successful 5150 event that will go on to become an Ironman 70.3 next year“, says Stefan Petschning, WTC’s Executive Manager, Europe and South Africa. „We are excited and commited to see one of our races in a world-renowed city as Berlin. This is definitely a flagship-event for us“, adds Kai Walter, WTC’s Managing Director International Operations Europe.

„We’re expecting this event to sharpen Berlin’s profile as a host city for sport, and we firmly believe that this will add to the city’s reputation. In addition Berlin won’t host any European or World Championships in the near future, so the timing is great“, says Jürgen Lock, SCC EVENTS’ Managing Director.

Athletes will swim in the Spree river and the bike course will lead to the Tempelhofer Freiheit, connecting to the run course close to the finish line. Together with the 5150 a sprint event (750m, 20k, 5k) will be held. „Our goal is a high-quality event that will draw pros and agegroupers alike“, adds Mark Milde, SCC EVENTS’ Race Director.

Registration is open now at www.5150berlin.com. Entry fee for the 5150 Triathlon will be 69,90 Euro (prices exclude 5 percent handling fee), and the sprint triathlon will be priced at 59.90 Euro. Athletes who sign up before Feb 29 (midnight) will pay 59,90 for the 5150 Triathlon and 49,90 für the sprint Triathlon event.

About the World Triathlon Corporation

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa, Fla.-based company recognised for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC’s portfolio includes IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex, PowerBar, K-Swiss and TYR, IRONMAN is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

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February 14, 2012

WTC Introduces Phase One of New Age Group Ranking System

Program will start by recognizing the top age group athletes on the European circuit.

TAMPA, USA. – To further showcase the unique talent of its athletes, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) today introduced phase one of the new Age Group Ranking system (AGR). The trial run of the program will recognize the best age group competitors at Ironman®, Ironman 70.3® and 5150™ Triathlon Series races in Europe.

“We’re extremely enthusiastic about the pilot phase of the new AGR system in Europe,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of WTC. “We continue to be impressed by the caliber of age group athletes competing in our races and we’re excited to more fully acknowledge and reward their accomplishments.”

Athletes ranked No. 1 in their age group in 2012 will receive free entry to a 2013 Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series qualifying event of their choice. Athletes ranking second through fifth in their age group in 2012 will receive guaranteed entry for the 2013 Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series qualifying event of their choice. The AGR slots will be added into the overall number of available race entries and will not impact registration opportunities for other age group participants across qualifying events.

Athletes will also have the chance to race a 2012 European 5150 Triathlon Series event for free once they register for a 2012 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 event in Europe.

The new AGR system is unique in that it scores races in the Ironman, Ironman 70.3 and 5150 Triathlon Series in one system. In phase one of the program, age group athletes, regardless of nationality, will earn points by competing in any WTC-affiliated race in Europe. Points are collected between May 12, 2012 and Nov. 10, 2012, with the first race opportunity being Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca and the final being Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote. The system will be broken down into three categories: small, big, and bonus points. Information on the points system may be found by visiting: www.ironman.com/ranking.

„We are looking for the complete triathlete. That‘s why we included all distances ranging from Ironman to 5150 Triathlon in this program“, says Stefan Petschnig, WTC‘s Executive Manager Europe and South Africa. „We‘re convinced that athletes will like the Age Group Ranking system. For the first time tens of thousands athletes can compete against each other across the European continent“, Petschnig adds.

“I think the ranking just shows how much we appreciate our age-group athletes. This is big news for all our European races and will be an even bigger boost to our sports once it becomes a World Ranking” Kai Walter, Managing Director International Operations Europe.

While the first phase of the AGR program is open to any athlete, initially points may only be earned on the European race circuit. WTC plans to expand the program globally in 2013 with Messick adding, “We are committed to making this program a success and we’re looking forward to offering athletes around the globe the opportunity to compete for a spot on the AGR list as the program expands worldwide. We will welcome feedback from the triathlete community on the test run of this program and how we can improve the overall experience.”

All athletes who finish an Ironman, Ironman 70.3 or 5150 Triathlon Series race in Europe between May 12, 2012 and Nov. 10, 2012 will receive an online certificate with their ranking. An example AGR list with data from the 2011 races will be posted on April 15, 2012. The first official AGR list will be available online by May 15, 2012, following the Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca, and will be updated after every event, with the final official list being uploaded on Nov. 20, 2012.

For additional information on the AGR System, please visit www.ironman.com/ranking.. All athletes who qualify for a complimentary invitation to a European 5150 Triathlon Series race must submit their Ironman and Ironman 70.3 entry registration codes and the name of the 5150 of their choice to agr. invitation@ironman.com. The free entry must be used during the 2012 race season. Athlete inquiries should be directed to ranking@ironman.com.

WTC extends Race Transfer Policy

The WTC would also like to announce an extension to its Race Transfer Policy (RTP) which will cover all of 2012. Athletes transfer their race entry between European Ironman- and Ironman 70.3 races (exception: Ironman 70.3 Antwerp) under the standing rules and guidelines. Athletes can transfer their entry from a race up until the race‘s final withdrawal deadline and can transfer to a race as long as registration for the target race is open.

About World Triathlon Corporation

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. The WTC portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex, PowerBar, K-Swiss and TYR, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

Media Contact
Jürgen Rollmann
Director Public Relations Germany
+49 171 41 31 548
juergen.rollmann@ironman.de

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