New Canadian Triathlon - Ottawa’s Hammerfest - Triathlon Week

Robert G. · 01-09-2003, 02:20 PM

Triathlon-focused public relations agency SLHCommunications, Inc. and the Ottawa Visitors Center have launched Ottawa’s Hammerfest Triathlon (1.5 km Swim/40 km Bike/10 km Run), slating the point-to-point event for June 21, 2003. Re-branded and re-developed for 2003, early multisport media and club reports predict more than 500 athletes to participate this year, compared to an impressive 444 at OVC’s inaugural event, Starved Rock Triathlon, in 2002.

“The Visitors Center is excited to sponsor Ottawa’s Hammerfest Triathlon in 2003,” said Shannon Silva, director, Ottawa Visitors Center. “Last year’s race was a great success for Ottawa, and based on the feedback we received, we anticipate an even better turn-out this year.” Athletes from six teams and 10 states raced, including a number of All-Americans.

“The inaugural event was a big hit with the athletes and community, and the OVC and municipal services support was tremendous,” said Hammy Handwerker, principal, SLHCommunications, who was a late-entry co-director last year. “We’re planning new things for 2003, more volunteers and support, and more fun for our athletes and spectators. In 2002, we were proud to have quite a few local athletes and volunteers, and we’re already planning to improve those numbers, too.”

Handwerker said the agency is also working hard to develop new sponsorships, better marketing communications and a field of developmental pro athletes. “We know that many elite age-groupers and journeyman pros work so hard and dream of making it to the next level. We hope to provide incentives for them and help support their efforts to reach those dreams.”

Last year’s race saw five men go under two hours, including pro athlete and winner Mark Carey (1:56:20) and All-Americans Michael Boehmer and Patrick Bless, second and third place, respectively. Boehmer also won his age group at the 2002 ITU world short-course triathlon championship. Lauren Jensen, a professional and one of Wisconsin’s local heroes, won in 2:02:46, with five other women racing in under 2 hours and 20 minutes.

“Sports events like the triathlon give Ottawa the opportunity to really showcase our area,” Silva added. “The Hammerfest race route definitely highlights our history and scenery, and we hope the athletes and spectators will stay and explore it after the race, and return throughout the year.”

The point-to-point event will begin with a 1.5 km (.93 mi) swim in the warm, flat water of Lake Holiday, shoot bicycles down a straight, 14-mile stretch of LaSalle Cty. Rte. 2 (Hoxsey Rd.) and finish the net-loss-elevation, 40 km (24.8 mi) cycle at Ottawa’s Fox River Park. At the shade-covered transition area, nestled in a crook of the Fox River near its juncture with the Illinois River, athletes will take to a 10 km (6.2 mi) run, mostly on the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal’s crushed limestone path. The final quarter-mile of the course has been redesigned for better spectator viewing and a more dramatic finish in downtown Ottawa’s Washington Park, and will include running through the shadows of the new statues of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, who squared off in the nation’s first political debate, on that spot, in 1858.

Outdoor recreation is a main attraction to the town of two rivers. Hiking and cycling the historic I&M Canal tow-path and in numerous state parks such as the well-known Starved Rock State Park, canoeing, fishing, skydiving, and bird-watching, among other sports, are all within minutes of the Hammerfest Triathlon route. The city, its fresh air, scenery and history are 80 highway-miles from downtown Chicago, 155 from Milwaukee and 260 from Des Moines.

The Ottawa Visitors Center can be reached at 877-OTTAWA-4 or at tourism@visit-ottawa-il.com, and can be found on the Internet at www.visit-ottawa-il.com.

Ottawa’s Hammerfest Triathlon website is not yet up, and will be announced soon. Registration will launch soon at www.SignMeUpSports.com. For athlete, sponsorship, volunteer and other race information, contact slhcomm@hotmail.com.