TIME TO TRI RECRUITS NEW TRIATHLON PARTICIPANTS THROUGH ROCK 'N' ROLL MARATHON SERIES

Expo presence introduces runners to multisport through mini-triathlon experience

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — As part of the Time to Tri™ initiative, USA Triathlon and IRONMAN® are hosting three-minute triathlons at Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series® expos across the country. The mini-triathlon experience, paired with free training resources and exclusive first-timer offers, helps Time to Tri reach single-sport athletes who may consider a triathlon as their next racing goal.

Launched by USA Triathlon and IRONMAN in January, Time to Tri is an industry-wide initiative to recruit 100,000 new triathlon participants by the end of 2020. Through its online hub at mytimetotri.com, the initiative supports new triathletes with free training plans, training and racing advice, motivational tools and other resources.

In addition to the online platform, USA Triathlon and IRONMAN are engaging in proactive outreach to identify new and aspiring triathletes with the running community as a primary target audience.

"We know that experienced single-sport athletes, especially runners, are likely to consider trying a triathlon," said Chuck Menke, Chief Marketing Officer at USA Triathlon. "Many runners already cross-train with swimming and cycling. By engaging with half-marathoners while they’re at the big race, we get them thinking about what comes next — and for some, triathlon is the perfect fit."

At each expo stop, visitors will take part in a three-minute mini-triathlon featuring one minute of dryland "swimming" on a specialized trainer, one minute of cycling on a stationary spin bike and one minute of running on a treadmill. When the three minutes are up, participants receive a Time to Tri-branded finishers’ medal. While at the expo, visitors will be able to locate triathlon clubs in their area, swimming pools and other resources to get started in triathlons.

"Triathlon is a fantastic sport for athletes of all ages and ability levels, and we want everyone to experience it firsthand," said Christopher Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer of IRONMAN. "Our mini-triathlon is a great opportunity to reach out to prospective triathletes, and set them to their first finish line."

Already this year, Time to Tri has had a presence at pre-race Health & Fitness Expos for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series races in Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, San Jose, Denver and Los Angeles. The next stop will be the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Savannah Marathon and Half Marathon from Nov. 3-4 in Georgia, followed by two more Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series events to close out the 2018 season.

In addition to the mini-triathlon, expo visitors will take a tour of the training and racing resources at mytimetotri.com. They will be invited to self-select their skill levels in the swim, bike and run to receive a free, customized sprint triathlon training plan and address any concerns or misconceptions about the sport of triathlon.

Finally, participants will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes to receive giveaways including a Quintana Roo triathlon bike, ROKA wetsuit, various ROKA swimming gear and a pair of Brooks running shoes.

For more information about Time to Tri, including a pledge form for industry leaders, beginner-friendly resources and free training plans, visit mytimetotri.com.

Time to Tri™ Expo Booth Stops | 2018 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Series

April 28 — Nashville, Tenn.

June 3 — San Diego, Calif.

June 10 — Seattle, Wash.

July 22 — Chicago, Ill.

Sept. 2 — Virginia Beach, Va.

Sept. 16 — Philadelphia, Penn.

Oct. 7 — San Jose, Calif.

Oct. 21 — Denver, Colo.

Oct. 28 — Los Angeles, Calif.

Nov. 4 — Savannah, Ga.

Nov. 11 — Las Vegas, Nev.

Dec. 2 — San Antonio, Tex.

About IRONMAN

As part of Wanda Sports Holdings, the IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, trail running like Ultra-Trail Australia™, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 230 events across 53 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Wanda Sports Holdings

Wanda Sports Holdings is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media and marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.

usa triathlon.pngAbout USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Media Contacts

Caryn Maconi, Communications Manager

719-955-2828 | caryn.maconi@usatriathlon.org

Chuck Menke, Chief Marketing Officer

719-955-2827 | chuck.menke@usatriathlon.org

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