Exciting week for the Ironman Lottery and Legacy entrants for the 2014 Hawaii Ironman Championships

IRONMAN today announced the 100 age-group athletes who have earned a chance to race at the 2014 IRONMAN ^® World Championship presented by GoPro through the IRONMAN ^® Legacy program, and the lucky 100 age-group athletes and five physically challenged age-group athletes from across the globe who won their ticket into Kona through the IRONMAN ^® Lottery program.

Granting loyal IRONMAN athletes an opportunity to compete at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i in October, this year’s IRONMAN ^® Legacy program competitors hail from 20 different countries with more than half (55 out of 100) of the athletes residing outside of the United States, including 14 athletes from Australia, eight from Great Britain and seven from both Canada and Germany.

With this year’s athletes ranging in age from 24 to 64 and representing 17 countries, the IRONMAN ^® Lottery program continues to gain momentum internationally. From a wounded female war veteran, 47, from Sydney, Australia, to a 19-time IRONMAN ^® triathlon finisher, 61, from Atlanta, Ga., the dream of crossing the finish line at IRONMAN’s most iconic event unites all 100 age-group athletes.

The Legacy Program grants loyal IRONMAN competitors an opportunity to start in Kona at least once in their lifetime. One hundred Legacy winners are chosen every year. To be eligible for this year’s selection, athletes must have completed a minimum of 12 full-distance IRONMAN-branded races, have never started the IRONMAN World Championship, have completed at least one IRONMAN event in each of the 2012 and 2013 seasons and be registered for an IRONMAN event in 2014.

A mainstay in the history of IRONMAN, the IRONMAN Lottery began in 1983 thanks to the vision of IRONMAN co-founders, John and Judy Collins. The program provides athletes of all abilities the opportunity to participate for the world’s most challenging one-day endurance event.