2008 RACE SCHEDULE

November 8, 2008 - Ironman 70.3 World Championships - Clearwater, FL
DISTANCE 1.2 MILE SWIM, 56 MILE BIKE, 13.1 MILE RUN
The Ironman 70.3 Series culminates with its world championship in Clearwater, FL. More than 1,800 domestic and international competitors earn the right to compete in the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 by qualifying at one of the 31 Ironman 70.3 events held around the world.

2009 RACE SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 4, 2009 - Ironman Oceanside 70.3 - Ocenside, California
DISTANCE 1.2 MILE SWIM, 56 MILE BIKE, 13.1 MILE RUN

Ford Ironman 70.3 California triathlon takes place in Oceanside and on neighboring Camp Pendleton. With $30,000 in prize money and qualifying spots for both Kona and the Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championship, the race is always competitive. The event, which features a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run, typically includes include 2,200 athletes from more than 30 countries. The unique race features a harbor swim at Oceanside Harbor, a one-loop bike ride on neighboring Camp Pendleton, and a two-loop run along the ocean along the world famous Strand in Oceanside. Athletes compete for 20 qualifying spots to the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, as well as 150 qualifying spots to the 2006 Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championship. The 2006 event actually marks the seventh year in a row that an Ironman affiliated event will take place in the area, as 2000 and 2001 saw Camp Pendleton and Oceanside play host to a full-distanced Ironman event. In past years the Ford Ironman 70.3 California has featured a who's who of triathlon, including Ironman World Champions Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr, Tim DeBoom and Peter Reid as well as 2000 Olympic medalist Michellie Jones.

Sunday, May 17, 2009 - Columbia Olympic Distance Triathlon Ellicott City, Maryland, USA
1.5k Swim - 41k Bike - 10k Run
The race starts in beautiful Centennial Lake in Ellicott City, adjacent to Columbia, one of the nation’s first and best-planned suburban communities. The lake is ripplefree and fresh-fed with comfortable springtime temperatures averaging between 65 and 71 degrees, although none of this precludes a good amount of competitive jostling
to the first few buoys. The 1.5km swim is followed by a longish run through the well-groomed grass of Centennial Park before the scenic 41km bike takes off through the rolling countryside for an unrelenting series of moderate to serious climbs. The route winds through an affluent area that transitions between genteel farms and suburban mini-mansions and stone and immaculate four-rail fences. Still, the race’s 10km run is Columbia’s ultimate test. The course climbs and encircles Centennial Lake and passes through neighborhoods filled with enthusiastic fans.

June 14, 2009 - Ironman Eagleman 70.3 - Cambridge, Maryland
DISTANCE 1.2 MILE SWIM, 56 MILE BIKE, 13.1 MILE RUN
The EagleMan Half Ironman Triathlon had its roots as The Oxford Triathlon in 1980 under the directorship of Oxford, Maryland native Fletcher Hanks. In 1990, he moved the race to nearby Cambridge across the Choptank River into Dorchester County and renamed it "The Endurance". After Hanks retired in 1992, the event was again renamed in honor of the majestic bald eagle, the symbol of freedom and opportunity and an inhabitant of Dorchester County and the vast Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, through which much of the bike course goes.

July 20, 2008 - Ironman Lake Placid - Lake Placid, New York
DISTANCE 2.4 MILE RUN, 112 MILE BIKE, 26.2 MILE RUN
Centered amidst the northern beauty of the Adirondack region, Lake Placid is a solid choice as host for the Ironman Lake Placid Triathlon. The Lake Placid course presents challenging sections on both the bike and run courses that gave last year's nearly 2,000 competitors a workout to remember. Famous champions include Thomas Hellriegel, Heather Fuhr, Melissa Spooner, Steve Larsen, and Cameron Widoff. The course is nothing short of spectacular. The swim takes place in the pristine Mirror Lake. The challenging bike course winds through the Adirondack Mountains, and is both scenic and tough - what more could a triathlete want? The run is no picnic, either, and offers up some more great scenery, along with some more challenging hills. Put it all together and you have the essence of Ironman ... a race that captures both the beauty and the challenges of the area, and the sport.