World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), producer of the IronKids event brand and owner of the Ironman, Iron Girl and 5150 brands, has unveiled the 2011 IronKids National Triathlon Series schedule and opening of registration.
Now in its third year, the series is growing from 12 races to nearly 30, including 13 events as part of the inaugural Hy-Vee IronKids Midwest Triathlon Series. Several Northeast-region triathlons will be announced in the coming month.
"In 2010, we witnessed increased interest from our participants and their families," said Michelle Payette, director of IronKids.
“IronKids Alpharetta drew nearly 1,400 children, making it the largest youth triathlon in the nation. Our partnership with Hy-Vee has enabled a substantial expansion of the IronKids brand, and we are in the midst of a major movement in the youth triathlon sector."
IronKids targets children ranging from 6 to 15 years of age and aims to inspire and motivate youth through sport to lead an active, positive and healthy lifestyle.
In addition to events, the IronKids National Triathlon Series offers an interactive weekend including the IronKids Expo and triathlon clinics, which are led by USAT-certified coaches and range in level from introductory to advanced.
All finishers will receive a commemorative medal, and the top three participants in each age group will receive a trophy. The top five finishers at each of the IronKids National and Midwest Series events will qualify for the Hy-Vee IronKids US Championship, taking place on 17 September in West Des Moines, Iowa.
The 2011 series will kick off on 9 April in Oro Valley, Arizona. The complete race schedule is as follows:
Apr 9 / Oro Valley, Arizona
May 14 / Orlando, Florida
May 22 / San Diego, California
Jun 11 / Lawrence, Kansas
Jun 12 / Round Rock, Texas
Jun 18 / Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Jun 25 / Omaha Nebraska
Jul 2 / Sioux City, Iowa
Jul 9 / Waterloo, Iowa
Jul 16 / Quad Cities, Illinois
Jul 23 / Rochester, Minnesota
Jul 24 / Raleigh, North Carolina
Jul 30 / Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Aug 6 / Dubuque, Iowa
Aug 6 / Boulder, Colorado
Aug 13 / Kansas City, Missouri
Aug 20 / Lincoln Nebraska
Aug 21 / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Aug 27 / Columbia, Missouri
Aug 28 / Seattle, Washington
Sep 3 / West Des Moines, Iowa
Sep 4 / Avon, Colorado
Sep 10 / Madison, Wisconsin
Sep 11 / Alpharetta, Georgia
Sep 17 / West Des Moines, Iowa*
*Hy-Vee IronKids US Championship
WTC acquired IronKids in 2007 from the Sara Lee Corporation, which had owned the event series since 1985. In its inaugural year, 2009, the IronKids National Triathlon Series hosted nine events, including a National Championship.
In 2010, the series grew domestically as well as globally, with international licensed events taking place throughout Europe and Asia-Pacific.
In 2011, the series expanded to more than two dozen events in the US, including 13 races in the Hy-Vee IronKids Midwest Triathlon Series. IronKids has seen more than 50,000 participants in its history.
