Following a successful inaugural season, the USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series welcomes young aspiring elite triathletes in its 2014 opener on 24-25 May at the Richmond International Raceway, in conjunction with the new Rev3 Rush event.
Launched in 2013, the USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series showcases a unique triathlon format in the United States, providing a fast, spectator-friendly event. In Richmond, athletes aged 16-25 with aims of earning an elite license will have the opportunity compete in a USA Triathlon Elite Development Race (EDR) against current elite triathletes – with a prize purse of US$4,999 split evenly between the men’s and women’s fields.
More information on future Super Sprint Series events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Elite and development competitors will first race in a qualifying round, scheduled for noon ET on Saturday, 24 May. Each athlete will complete a 250m swim, 5-mile bike and 1.5-mile run. The swim will take place in two 25m portable pools in the raceway infield, with the bike course circling the race track and the run circling the infield.
The top 30 athletes (15 men, 15 women) will qualify for a spot in the finals, which are set for 14:00 ET on Sunday 25 May. The finals will feature two continuous circuits of the 250m swim, 5-mile bike, 1.5-mile run course. The top-five finishers of each gender will earn a share of the prize purse. Additionally, top amateur finishers in the Elite Development Race (EDR) may qualify for USA Triathlon elite licenses based on the size of the field.
“We are thrilled to continue the USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series for a second year, introducing this fast-paced and exciting format to new audiences across the United States,” said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO. “The setup of Rev3 Rush will allow spectators to be close to the action, and with a weekend of race options available to age-group athletes, the atmosphere will be unmatched.”
“This format and distance is where the professional racing is headed, and to be able to offer this experience to the younger up-and-coming elites is a great thing,” said Charlie Patten, President of Rev3. “These young athletes will have a chance to race here in the US, in an arena filled with triathlon enthusiasts. I can’t think of a better, more positive experience to grow this level of the sport.”
Rev3 Rush begins with age-group races slated at 08:00 on Saturday 24 May, and continues through the afternoon on Sunday 25 May. Athletes can opt to participate in one, two or three rounds on the super sprint course, with the top-eight recorded times in each age group qualifying for the finals on Sunday afternoon.
Along with the age-group finals, Sunday afternoon will also feature a final round for the eight fastest qualifying men and women, regardless of age group, to determine the fastest Rev3 Rush competitors.
Each of the three rounds will have competition options for athletes ages 7 and up, with heats of 15 athletes set to run from youngest to oldest. Youth in the 7-9 age group will complete a 100m swim, 2-mile bike and a 0.5-mile run, while athletes 10-11 years old will complete a 200m swim, 3.5-mile bike and a 1.5-mile run.
Athletes 12 and older will race the same course as the elites (250m swim, 5-mile bike, 1.5-mile run), although they will only complete the circuit once.
Age-group athletes will also have an opportunity to compete in two different relay events, with traditional relays scheduled for 18:00 ET on 24 May and mixed team relays at noon ET on 25 May. The mixed team relay portion of the event is part of USA Triathlon’s new Mixed Team Relay Series, created to expose more athletes to the exciting four-person format.
In addition to the non-stop racing action, athletes and spectators will be entertained with a festive environment filled with music, rock climbing wall, mechanical bull, monkey motion, pit crew challenge, remote control car races and much more.
www.usatriathlon.org
www.rev3tri.com
