IRONMAN TRIATHLON AUSTRIA, CARINTHIA, AUSTRIA, 13TH JULY 2008

One of the biggest triathlons of the world
3.8 km SWIM  -  180 km BIKE  -  42.195 km RUN

BIG ANNIVERSARY YEAR

The IRONMAN Austria Klagenfurt celebrates its 10th birthday on 13 July. Within 19 hours after opening of registration all places were sold out - breaks all records now. The IRONMAN is a long distance triathlon combining the world's three most popular sports disciplines. Starting with 3.8 km of swimming, the athletes have to bike for 180 km and run a marathon of 42.195 km before crossing the finish line.

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The IRONMAN Austria is one out of 22 triathlons of the IRONMAN trademark and one of the biggest worldwide. Carinthia is fascinating athletes from all over the world. Reason for that is the perfect triathlon region that Austrian most Southern country is offering. The convenient climate, the little precipitation, the lakes and the mountains, that are making the bike course challenging, are offering perfect ambiance to unite the three kinds of sport.

IRONMAN started in 1978 in Hawaii when athletes discussed who was the fittest athlete - the swimmer, the biker or the runner. The decision was easy: The first one finishing a combination of these three should be called an IRONMAN.
Today, there are 20 IRONMAN labelled events world wide, each of them giving qualifying spots for the IRONMAN World Championship taking place in October - in Hawaii.

Kärnten IRONMAN Austria , 13th July 2008 - since 1999
The IRONMAN Austria is held in Klagenfurt, capital of Carinthia, and has become the fastest growing IRONMAN worldwide. Last year the race had 2200 participants - the biggest IRONMAN race!

The IRONMAN Austria 2008 has been sold in between 19 hours. Registration had to be closed with 2.200 athletes and this number must not be increased due to quality and safety reasons. New requests are reaching the organisation office every day but the race is fully booked. “We could hold a race with 3.000 participants but we are aware that the race in Carinthia can’t be enlarged at the participants’ side anymore.”, says event organizer Stefan Petschnig from TRIANGLE events.

Special guests
Among the special guests the winner of the past ten years will rank. Under the starters the winner of the past two years, Marino Vanhönacker (BEL), who is thinking about appointing Austria its second homecountry, will compete among the top-athletes from all over the world. He will return to Klagenfurt in order to triumph again and is regarding the IRONMAN Austria meanwhile as "his" race.

IronKIDS Austria – Saturday 12th July 2008

One day before the competition of the adults, also the youngsters can prove what they can. Depending upon age group the young athletes have to swim distances between 50 m, 100 m and 200 m and to run 900 m, 1800m or 2.700 m. Approx. 600 children will compete. Fun is the major ingredient.

FACTS & FIGURES

• 2.200 athletes
• 43 countries
• 226 kilometres in total
• more than 100.000 spectators
• World Record
  Men: Luc van Lierde: 07:50:27 (IRONMAN Germany/Roth 1997)
  Ladies: Paula Newby Frazer: 08:50:24 (IRONMAN Germany/Roth 1992)
• First prize: 50,000 USD

» www.ironmanaustria.at