Ironman Lake Tahoe set for Sept. 22

IRONMAN Lake Tahoe, set in one of the world’s premier vacation destinations, will offer athletes a beautiful, challenging experience in a picturesque venue. The inaugural event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013, and will be the first full-distance IRONMAN event in California since 2001.

 “Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty and experience in hosting world-class endurance events have made it one of the world’s most appealing sports destinations,” said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for WTC. “The launch of a full-distance IRONMAN event in California has been a long time coming. We’re confident this race will develop into a cornerstone of the global IRONMAN Series.”

The race will start with a two-loop, 2.4-mile swim in the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe at King’s Beach, which has an average water temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in September. Athletes will enjoy a lakeside transition before starting a two-loop 112-mile bike course that is comparable in difficulty to the bike routes at IRONMAN Lake Placid, IRONMAN Canada and IRONMAN Wisconsin.

Cyclists will travel along the lake into Tahoe City before following the Truckee River past Squaw Valley and into the town of Truckee. From there, the course turns south back toward Lake Tahoe, has a short loop in Martis Camp, continues past Northstar and climbs to Brockway Summit.

After a descent back down to Kings Beach, athletes will complete a second loop, and then a final, flat 17 miles to finish the bike course at Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics. With a transition at Squaw, runners will proceed along the Truckee River bike path into Tahoe City, and continue south along the shores of Lake Tahoe to a turnaround in historic Homewood, Calif.

The largely flat run course traverses one of the most scenic lake vistas in the world before finishing along the cobbled corridors of the Village at Squaw Valley.

“Athletes will experience breathtaking beauty as granite peaks give way to some of the clearest waters in the U.S.,” said Andy Chapman, Chief Marketing Officer of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, the host destination and an official sponsor of the 2013 IRONMAN Lake Tahoe.

“Competitors will enjoy Local’s Secret Season, the most pleasant month of the year, with sunny warm days and cool enjoyable evenings. Scenic beauty, great weather, unlimited recreational opportunities and all the amenities of a resort destination, make Lake Tahoe an unforgettable IRONMAN venue.”

IRONMAN Lake Tahoe will be a P-2000 race with a $75,000 USD professional prize purse. Additionally, the race will offer 50 age group slots to the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship taking place on Oct. 11, 2014.

Registration for the inaugural IRONMAN Lake Tahoe will open on Mon., June 18, at Noon PT on www.ironmanlaketahoeCA.com. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Athlete inquiries may be directed to laketahoe@ironman.com. Media may contact media@ironman.com.

Originally from: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/laketahoe/lake-tahoe-added-to-ironman-event-series#ixzz1xxmFahXU

(Credit: Elizabeth Carmel)