General entry for for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship, Melbourne, will open on Sunday, Aug. 28

General entries for the recently announced Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship to be held in Melbourne are expected to sell out at a record rate when registrations open on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. Approximately 1,500 general entries are available for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship, making it

MELBOURNE, Australia (Aug. 25, 2011) “General entries for the recently announced Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship are expected to sell out at a record rate when registrations open on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. Approximately 1,500 general entries are available for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship, making it one of the most in-demand Ironman events in the world.

Following the Aug. 4 announcement of the highly anticipated event, race organizers have fielded unprecedented interest among athletes from across Australia and all corners of the globe. The interest in this new championship event comes on the heels of the incredible sellout of the Ironman U.S. Championship, to be held next year in the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan region.

“Ironman is experiencing a period of phenomenal growth and demand in Australia with events like the 2011 SunSmart Ironman Western Australia and the 2012 Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia selling out in a matter of minutes,” said Shane Smith, World Triathlon Corporation’s managing director for Australia. “Right now, interest in our existing events is the highest ever and we expect the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship to be no different.”

The inaugural Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will take place in Melbourne, Australia, on March 25, 2012.  This race will be the first-ever Ironman triathlon competition to be held in the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The 226km race will take place in Melbourne’s South East and Bayside suburbs. The course will include a 3.8km swim in the Frankston Foreshore, a fast and smooth 180km bike on the Eastlink Tollway and 42.2km run from Frankston to the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship finish line, located at the iconic St. Kilda sea baths.

The 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship is one of nearly 30 Ironman events worldwide. Athletes will compete for a professional prize purse of $100,000 USD and 75 age group qualifying slots to the 2012 Ironman World Championship, more than any other race in the Asia-Pacific region. The Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will also include a relay division with registration opening at a later date and a range of supporting events, such as an IronKids race, providing participation opportunities for more than 3,000 athletes during race week.

General entry for for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will open on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, at 1 p.m. AEST at www.ironmanmelbourne.com. Due to the anticipated sellout, athletes are encouraged to be on-line as soon as registration opens to have the best chance of securing an entry into the race.

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Florida-based company recognized 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 and PowerBar, 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.