Hyde Park to host the Dextro Energy Triathlon - World Championship Series

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Helen Jenkins, the reigning world champion from Britain, will be amongst a starting line-up of the world’s top triathletes when the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championships Series comes to London’s Hyde Park on August 15 and 16th.

London will be the sixth of seven stop-overs for the Series which began 10 days ago in Korea and finishes with the Grand Final in Australia in September.  Each event features an elite men’s and women’s race but also an Age Group mass participation race. The event in London also hosts youth, junior and paratriathlon races and an expo - an international trade fair.

Places in the Age Group race are expected to sell out quickly. Entries are limited to just 2,100 and participants can register for the Age Group race at www.triathlon-wcs-london.org where entries go on sale today.

President of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Marisol Casado, said "As we head towards the London Olympic Games in 2012, it is a sign of triathlon's growing stature and significance that we look forward to a race in Hyde Park as part of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. I am sure that I speak on behalf of all of the athletes, coaches and National Federations when I say that the triathlon family is very excited to be coming to one of the world's greatest cities with the opportunity to race around such an iconic venue. My thanks go out to British Triathlon, London and our partners, Upsolut and Sportfive for working so hard to make this special event happen."

Dr Sarah Springman OBE, President of British Triathlon said of the event that has support from UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded Major Events Programme:  “British Triathlon is delighted to have been chosen by the International Triathlon Union to host one of the prestigious Dextro Energy World Championship Series triathlons in London's Hyde Park as we look towards 2012. Offering exciting, spectator and media-friendly international events of the highest quality, so that our athletes can benefit while raising the profile of triathlon in the centre of London. Incorporating paratriathlon, youth and age group events confirms the inclusivity of our sport, which is widely cited as being the fastest growing in the country”.

Dan Ritterband, Director of Marketing, Office of the Mayor of London, said:  “ It’s a coup for London to stage this event. It’s our plan to bring more events like this to the Capital up to and beyond 2012.  Londoners and visitors will get an early insight into Olympic action and Hyde Park can be tested as a venue”.

Event organisers and owners Upsolut Sports and the ITU collaborated to create this new series and are working with the BTF on the London leg.  Athletes can earn points at each leg with the person with the most points at the end of the series being crowned World Champion. In London the Age Group race participants will also be encouraged to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Official Charity Partner.

World champion Helen Jenkins said: “I’m very excited about the prospect of racing in London. It will be good to have a home crowd to support us and we will get an early look at Hyde Park which will host the Olympic triathlon in 2012”.

The event will be televised live by BBC TV in the UK and by other networks around the world.  130 athletes from all the continents and up to 40 nations are expected to take part and early indications are that the reigning men’s Olympic champion, Jan Frodeno of Germany, will be amongst the starters.  Australia’s Emma Snowsill and New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty lead the series with 800 points apiece after the first leg in Korea. Tim Don was Britain’s top placed finisher with 9th place.

The London course for the elite athletes will include a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run.  There will be a $150,000 prize fund.