SunSmart Ironman Western Australia is a signature event in the Western Australia major events calendar. 2011 is the eighth edition of the race, which continues to grow in stature year-upon-year and follows a hugely successful event in 2010.

“SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2010 was an enormous success and we look forward to building upon that success again in 2011,” said Shane Smith, Ironman Australia’s General Manager.

“Last year we made some radical changes to the event including moving the finish line into Queen Street which made for one of the most remarkable finish line atmospheres at any Ironman race in the world.

“We look forward to once again sharing this event with the local community and providing Ironman athletes from far and wide with an incredible race experience and an extraordinary stay in Busselton.”

The 2011 event has attracted athletes from across the globe. More than 1,300 athletes participating in the 2011 event reside outside of Western Australia and the event has a truly international flavour. Athletes from Argentina, Austria, Belgium Brazil, Denmark and Finland all the way through to Spain, Switzerland and the USA will toe the start line on December 4. In total, no less than thirty-seven countries will be represented on race day.

The professional field is filled with multiple Ironman champions and the depth of talent will ensure incredible racing at the front of the pack. The 2011 professional field includes defending champions Courtney Ogden (WA) and Kate Bevilaqua (WA), 2010 SunSmart Ironman Western Australia Runner-Up, Matty White (SA, two-time Ironman Western Australia champion Jason Shortis (VIC), former World Duathlon Champion Leon Griffin (VIC), 2008 Ironman Wisconson Champion, Hilary Biscay (USA), dual Ironman Wisconsin and 2009 Ironman Lake Placid Champion, Maik Twelsiek (GER) and five-time Ironman champion, Luke McKenzie (AUS).

The State Government supports SunSmart Ironman Western Australia through Eventscorp. Executive Director of Eventscorp David van Ooran said it was great to see the event growing bigger and better each year.

“It will be great to have some of the world’s top endurance athletes from around the world in Busselton for SunSmart Ironman Western Australia,” he said.

“The event not only adds vibrancy to the region, but it also showcases the extraordinary landscapes of Busselton and the South West to a worldwide television audience in 200 countries.”

SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011 is proudly sponsored by Healthway and is a SunSmart and SmokeFree event. Event organisors, World Triathlon Corporation, are committed to leading the way in providing a healthy environment for everyone involved in the production of SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011. A series of measures are implemented throughout the conduct of the event to create a SunSmart and SmokeFree environment for participants and spectators alike.

SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011 is one of nearly 30 Ironman events worldwide. Athletes will compete for a professional prize purse of $25,000 USD and 40 age group qualifying slots to the 2012 Ironman World Championship. More information is available at www.ironmanwesternaustralia.com

Launched at SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2010, the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge has since raised more than $118,000 for recipient groups. For season 2011/2012, athletes racing at Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie, SunSmart Ironman Western Australia, Ironman Asia Pacific Championship and Ironman Australia can create a Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge fundraising page and raise funds for one of the official recipient groups.

For season 2011/2012 the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge will support the fantastic work of the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland, the KIDS Foundation and the John Maclean Foundation.

“We encourage every athlete who is racing this season to take part in the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge” said Trent Taylor, Ironman’s Managing Director of Sales and Marketing.

“Ironman is often a life changing experience for the athletes themselves, and it is a fantastic opportunity to turn that energy into something even more remarkable. The program is designed to make the process as easy as possible for athletes, and we hope that together we can beat last year’s total of almost $120,000 raised in a single season”.

Mark Betts, a multiple Ironman finisher and Food Spectrum CEO, is a passionate supporter and advocate for children with disabilities; he also pro-actively encourages staff, business partners and other colleagues to take up the cause.

“When you see the challenges these kids and their families overcome everyday it’s so humbling. They are such wonderful people,” said Betts.

“Their amazing spirit inspires me to do more, to find new ways to help. If we can give them a helping hand when they are young, we can make a huge difference to the rest of their life.

“I therefore reach out to all fellow Ironman athletes and urge you to use this opportunity through the Ironman Charity Challenge to make a real difference for these kids who need your help”.

Athletes participating in this season’s Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie, SunSmart Ironman Western Australia, the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship or Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia can register for the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge at www.ironmancharitychallenge.com. At this site, athletes can select their event, their preferred recipient charity and create a personalised Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge fundraising page that will allow them to track their fundraising progress along the way. Athletes can simply send a link to their page to family and friends and let the fundraising begin

The program is being delivered in conjunction with leading on-line fundraising site Everyday Hero. Upon creation of an athlete’s individual fundraising account and page, each athlete will be notified of donations made in support of their efforts; totals will be maintained on their fundraising page and all donors will receive an electronic receipt. The program is designed to make the process as easy as possible for the athlete and their supporters.

For media inquiries about the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge, please contact Trent Taylor at trent.taylor@ironman.com or phone (02) 8815 8161.

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Florida-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC’s portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

ABOUT FOOD SPECTRUM

Brisbane-based Food Spectrum is a recognised world leader in functional and innovative food products and a trusted supplier to major national and international food brand owners. The company proactively supports children with disabilities: as part of the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge they successfully raised $75,000 for ten ‘Young Champions’ with cerebral palsy at last year’s SunSmart Ironman Western Australia. The funds paid for therapy and specialised equipment and also contributed towards the establishment of a youth theatre project for young people with disabilities, helping to improve their communication skills and sense of self worth.

Urban Hotel Group will return as naming rights sponsor for Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia for a third successive year, and partner as the official Hotel, Host and Hospitality partner for the inaugural Ironman Asia Pacific Championship, to be held Melbourne on March 25, 2012. Urban Hotel Group will also have presence on-site at Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie and SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011.

“Urban Hotel Group is the ultimate Ironman sponsor”, said Trent Taylor, Ironman’s Managing Director of Sales and Marketing.

“The Urban team is actively engaged in driving the progression of the sport; they understand the time, energy and dedication that it takes to complete and Ironman, and also how to celebrate in the success and accomplishment that comes with crossing an Ironman finish line.

“We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with the Urban team, and look forward to delivering fantastic events with them in Port Macquarie and Melbourne in 2012,” said Mr. Taylor

With Hotel Urban St.Kilda being just 200 metres from the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship event site in St.Kilda, the hotel will play host to the ‘who’s who’ of the Ironman world during the Melbourne race week, with the world’s best athletes and Ironman identities resting up each night in a signature Urban Snorer bed.

Ricky Jeffs, Group General Manager of Erdigroup, the parent company of the Urban Hotel Group brand said, “We are more than proud to be naming right sponsor of the 27th Ironman Australia. To sponsor any prestigious ironman race is exciting, but to do it for the third consecutive year is wonderful and reinforces Urban’s ongoing commitment to the sport and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.”

The Urban team will be present once again and causing a splash wherever they go. They’ll be down at the course, either competing, cheering along a new friend, or generally showing everyone how to have a great time.  It’s an Urban knack, not just creating hotels that are special places but taking their infectious energy and enthusiasm for what they do, wherever they go, and making that a special place too.  It’s great to have that kind of attitude and commitment on board once again.

Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia will take place in Port Macquarie, NSW on Sunday May 6, 2012. The Ironman Asia Pacific Championship will be held in Melbourne, VIC on Sunday March 25, 2012. Both events require athletes to complete a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike leg and a 42.2km run. Both events are official qualifiers for the prestigious Ironman World Championship. More information is available at www.ironmanmelbourne.com and www.ironmanaustralia.com.

For media inquiries about Ironman, please contact Trent Taylor at trent.taylor@ironman.com or phone (02) 8815 8161. For media inquiries about Urban Hotel Group, please contact Marsha Burns at marsha@hotelurban.com.au or phone (03) 8662 1347.

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Florida-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC’s portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

ABOUT URBAN HOTEL GROUP

Urban Hotel Group offers more than just a hotel experience.  Delivering on a promise to create a home away from home, each property projects a unique and delightful personality that’s a perfect match for the city you’re in.  Big on designer style and modern comforts, Urban offers more fun, more inspiration and more love.

For more information, visit hotelurban.com.au.

Urban.  It will suit you.

General entry for SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011 opened at 10am AEDT on Wednesday with a rush of entries upon opening. More than 600 general entries were received in the first 20 minutes alone and led to the fastest sell-out of an Ironman event in Australian history.

More than 330 international athletes will toe the starting line in beautiful Geographe Bay on Sunday December 4, 2011. Singapore will send the strongest contingent to Western Australia with 140 athletes competing. The United States (40), New Zealand (19), Hong Kong (14) and the United Kingdom (13) fall in behind Singapore with the highest number of international registrations.

Western Australian athletes are the largest group of entrants with 484 registrations received. New South Wales (256) and Victoria (196) are also well represented.

“We are thrilled with the response from the Australian and international Ironman community. WTC introduced a number of new initiatives at SunSmart Ironman Western Australia this year which have obviously been extremely well received and no doubt created urgency among athletes who wanted to be a part of this fantastic event again next year” said WTC Brand Manager, Trent Taylor.

The number of international and interstate registrations is also a strong result for Tourism Western Australia, for whom SunSmart Ironman Western Australia is a flagship event. Eventscorp Executive Director David Van Ooran said the achievement was outstanding and testament to the event’s success.

“We have helped develop Ironman Western Australia grow into a very high quality event, which is recognised across Australia and around the world,” Mr Van Ooran said.

“It is a fantastic coup for tourism in the region, as in 2011, the extraordinary experiences of Busselton and the South West will be exposed to participants from 31 countries, and all Australian States and Territories.

“Congratulations to Ironman Western Australia on continuing to deliver a brilliant event which provides many benefits to the local community and the State.”

Sydney, September 30, 2010 – World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is pleased to announce a new five-year Australian broadcast rights partnership with Network Ten and One HD.

The agreement between World Triathlon Corporation and Network Ten provides Network Ten and One HD with the exclusive Australian free-to-air broadcast rights for Ironman triathlon from 2010 through to 2015. The Ford Ironman World Championship, Ironman Australia and Ironman Western Australia events will be among the twelve one-hour programs aired exclusively each year on Network Ten’s high definition sports channel, One HD.

Alongside these races, One HD will be airing one-hour highlights packages from nine other international Ironman races each year. These programs will provide Australian audiences with access to the best Ironman racing from Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.

World Triathlon Corporation’s Brand Manager, Trent Taylor, said: “This broadcast partnership will enable Australian’s to be captivated by the extraordinary human endeavour that is Ironman. It is the most significant media deal in the history of the sport in Australia.

“Ironman is so much more than a triathlon. For many people it is a once in a lifetime, and often life-changing, experience.

“Many people remember the scene of Julie Moss’ legendary crawl to the finish line in Hawaii in 1982; there are inspiring and courageous stories like this happening in Ironman racing around the world and we are excited that this partnership will enable us to share those stories,” Mr. Taylor said.

More than 100,000 people compete in 25 Ironman events worldwide every year.

To launch this new partnership, the 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship highlights program will be the first Ironman program aired by OneHD and Network Ten.