TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- What do a
39-year-old U.S. Congresswoman from Arizona, a 44-year-old firefighter from
Spain, a 23-year-old dentist from
Brazil and an 82-year-old
broadcasting worker from Japan
have in common? They will be joining more than 2,300 athletes in
Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i on
October 10 for the most iconic
endurance event in the world - the 2015 IRONMAN® World
Championship presented by GoPro.
Representing 62 countries and territories on six continents, a
diverse group of global athletes will compete in the
37th year of the annual IRONMAN World Championship,
which comprises a 2.4-mile open-water swim, 112 miles of cycling
and a 26.2-mile run.
Reigning world champion Sebastian
Kienle of Germany and
three-time World Champion Mirinda
Carfrae of Australia
will be racing alongside an eclectic group of athletes that
includes the American star of blockbuster films "Rudy" and "The
Lord of the Rings," Sean
Astin, who is competing on behalf of Run3rd; British
celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay;
Italian CART racing legend and Paralympic handcycle champion
Alex Zanardi; U.S.
Representative Kyrsten
Sinema, the first sitting member of Congress to
participate in the IRONMAN World Championship; and American
Lew Hollander who, at 85
years old, will be the oldest competitor to ever toe the starting
line.
"We continue to be amazed and humbled by the growth of IRONMAN
and the sport of triathlon worldwide," said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of
IRONMAN. "All 2,300 athletes who have traveled from around the
globe to the sport's most prestigious stage share one common
mission – to cross the finish line on Ali'i Drive and hear those
four magical words - 'You are an IRONMAN.'"
With triathletes ranging in age from 19 to 85 having qualified
to compete in the World Championship, the average age of 2015 age
groupers is 43.2, well above the average age of professional
triathletes at 33.7. The overall average age is 42.8.
The United States is the most
represented country with 768 competitors, accounting for nearly 32
percent of registrants this year. Athletes from 48 U.S. states are
represented, with the greatest number coming from California (138), Colorado (54), Hawaii
(49), Texas (44) and New York (44).
Australia has the second-most
athletes competing with 250, followed by Germany (175), Great
Britain (148), Canada (114)
and Brazil (98). Countries
including Portugal, Singapore, Norway, Estonia and Brazil experienced the largest percent growth
in athlete representation since 2014.
Additional historical facts and stats on the field competing
this year in Kailua-Kona,
Hawai`i:
- 72 percent of participants (1,717 athletes) are
male
- 28 percent of participants (664 athletes) are female,
marking the largest female field in history at the IRONMAN World
Championship
- With 664 female participants, there is a more than
six percent increase in female participants from last
year
- This will be the largest athlete field ever at the IRONMAN
World Championship
- 99 race participants (57 males, 42 females), or four
percent of the total field, are professional athletes
- Australia's Mirinda Carfrae is vying to claim her third
consecutive IRONMAN World Championship victory, a feat last
accomplished by Chrissy Wellington
of Great Britain in 2009
- After losing the men's title to Europe in 2014, Australia is out to reassert its dominance in
the men's field with six IRONMAN World Championship victories in
the past eight years
- More than 5,000 volunteers will help make Kona a
success
- More than 204,000 registered athletes representing
nearly 200 countries and territories competed in IRONMAN and
IRONMAN 70.3® races this year
- 25 new IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races were established
in 2015
The 2015 IRONMAN World Championship presented by GoPro can be
viewed live exclusively on www.ironman.com. Comprehensive coverage
will capture every aspect of the race and feature a hosted show,
athlete tracker and live blog.
NBC will air the IRONMAN World Championship special on
Saturday, November 14 from
1:30 to 3 p.m. ET (check local
listings for details).
About IRONMAN
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. Recognized for excellence
through distinguished events, world-class athletes and quality
products, IRONMAN has grown from a single race to a global
sensation with more than 250 events and five unique brands:
IRONMAN®, IRONMAN® 70.3®, 5150™
Triathlon Series, Iron Girl® and IRONKIDS®.
For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
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SOURCE IRONMAN