Ironman to ‘Step Down’ to Olympic Distance Triathlon

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), best known for its  iconic Ironman  races, has announced the launch of a new global event series titled 5150 (named after the 51.5k’s involved in an Olympic distance race). All events within the 5150 Triathlon Series include a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. There are no races currently scheduled for Australia or New Zealand, and it is not yet clear whether the Ironman brand will be leveraged in the promotion of this new series…purists will hope not.

Starting in 2011, the 5150 Series will feature a series of international distance triathlons and will be the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age group athletes. The 2011 event schedule will offer 13  US based  events as well as a handful of international races. The Hy-Vee Triathlon will host the 5150 U.S. Championship, offering professional athletes the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money. Additional international race locations in Europe and Asia-Pacific will be announced soon.

2011 5150 Series (United States)

March 13   Miami International Triathlon (Miami, Fla.)
May 1   St. Anthony’s Triathlon (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
May 15   5150 New Orleans (New Orleans, La.)
May 22   Memphis in May Triathlon (Tunica, Miss.)
June 19   Washington D.C. Triathlon (Washington, D.C.)
June 25   5150 Provo (Provo, Utah)
July 10   Boulder Peak Triathlon (Boulder, Colo.)
August 7   Nautica New York City Triathlon (New York, N.Y.)
September 4   Hy-Vee Triathlon/5150 U.S. Championship (Des Moines, Iowa)
September 11   5150 Lake Lanier (Gainesville, Ga.)
October 2   5150 Lake Las Vegas (Henderson, Nev.)
October 23   5150 Galveston (Galveston, Texas)
November 12   5150 Clearwater/5150 Series Finale (Clearwater, Fla.)

2011 5150 Series (International)

June 5   5150 Frankfurt (Frankfurt, Germany)
June 12   5150 Klagenfurt (Klagenfurt, Austria)
July 9   5150 Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland)