Life Time Fitness announces largest prize purse in the history of triathlon - Triathlon Week

Robert G. · 03-06-2003, 11:37 PM

Press Release
Thursday, March 6, 2003

At a press conference held in Minneapolis today, Life Time Fitness officials, along with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minneapolis Mayor, RT Rybak, and other special guests, announced the 2003 Life Time Fitness Triathlon record-setting prize purse and network television coverage details.

To be held Saturday, August 2, 2003, the Event will offer the largest prize purse in the history of triathlon - $500,000. Of this amount, the top five finishers will receive prize awards as follows: First Place - $250,000, Second Place - $50,000, Third Place - $35,000, Fourth Place - $25,000, and Fifth Place - $20,000. Cash will be awarded to the overall top 12 professional women and top 12 professional men.

Furthermore, the 2003 Triathlon will be broadcast same-day nationally on NBC Sports from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (central) in keeping with Life Time Fitness’ commitment to heighten the profile of and participation in the sport of triathlon.

The 2003 Triathlon will feature, “The Equalizer,” a unique timing structure that allows professional women and men to compete on equal ground. Based on past Life Time Fitness Triathlon course results, as well as the outcomes from a number of world and American international-distance events, The Equalizer allows pro women to start ahead of pro men by a predetermined amount of time, resulting in a new and innovative competition format, and a dramatic “battle-of-the-sexes” race to the finish.

Professional triathletes Becky Gibbs Lavelle, a Minnesota native, and Craig Walton of Australia – the second- and third-place finishers respectively in last year’s Life Time Fitness Triathlon – also attended today’s press conference, offering commentary on their experience in the 2002 Event and plans for participation this year.

“The 2002 Life Time Fitness Triathlon set a new benchmark for the sport of triathlon,” said Bahram Akradi, founder and CEO, Life Time Fitness, Inc. “In 2003, we’re raising the bar by both increasing our prize purse to historic levels and presenting this year’s event to a large national viewing audience on NBC Sports. At the same time, our unique “battle of the sexes” timing format brings intense excitement and drama unparalleled in other sporting events of its kind.” The 2003 Life Time Fitness Triathlon will feature a stunning course, beginning and ending at Minneapolis’ Lake Nokomis and covering a 27-mile path within the City’s beautiful Parkway system. Both short- and international-distance courses will be offered. The short-distance course includes a .4-mile swim, 10-mile bike race and a 2.1-mile run. The international-distance course features a .75-mile swim, 21.3-mile bike race and 4.7-mile run.

The Event also is a part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial, a ten-day premier Twin Cities civic celebration that upholds a 63-year community tradition and hosts more than 800,000 visitors.

With hundreds of participants already registered, Life Time Fitness Triathlon organizers expect a full field, including 2,000+ of the world’s top professional and amateur triathletes from 15 countries and more than 35 states. For more information about the Life Time Fitness Triathlon or to register online, visit www.lifetimefitness.com or call 952-229-7227 or 866-321-7575.

Note to editors: A replay of the teleconference will be available following the press conference event by dialing 888-211-2648 or 703-925-2474. Enter pass code #3132479. The replay will be available through March 11, 2003. For access to Life Time Fitness Triathlon images and logos, please visit the official Life Time Fitness Triathlon website at http://www.lifetimefitness.com/editors_gallery/ or contact Jason Thunstrom, Director of Corporate Communications at 952-229-7435.