Officials from Ironman North America have announced several
changes to its 2003 schedule, including a new Ironman race to be held in Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho, replacing Ironman Utah with a Half Ironman race in Provo, and
changing the date and bike course for Ralph’s California Half Ironman.
The Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene Triathlon will take place on
Sunday, June 29 and will feature 80 qualifying spots to the 2003 Ironman World
Championship held in October in Kona, Hawaii.
Located in the northern panhandle of the state of Idaho, the
city of Coeur d’Alene is well-known as a resort community. Founded by fur
trappers on the north shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, the city of Coeur d’Alene
was built around a U.S. Army Fort, and later came to rely on mining and timber.
Most recently, Coeur d'Alene has gained a reputation as a world travel
destination after the five-star Coeur d'Alene Resort opened in 1986.
Today, Coeur d’Alene is a city with more than 30,000
residents, and is well known for its rugged outdoor beauty. Lake Coeur d'Alene
has been named one of the five most beautiful lakes by National Geographic and
the National Civic League designated the city as an All-American City in 1990.
The Coeur d’Alene event will feature a two-loop swim in Lake
Coeur d’Alene, a two-loop bike that will head west toward the town of Post
Falls and a two-loop run in the city itself.
Ironman officials have also decided to return to Provo for
the Utah Half-Ironman on Saturday, May 31, 2003. The 2002 Ironman Utah event
saw the cancellation of the swim due to a freak windstorm, and the shortening
of the event to a duathlon. After much
discussion with county officials, Ironman officials decided to return to Provo
for the Utah Half-Ironman on Saturday, May 31, 2003. Concerns about the swim portion of the event in Utah Lake were
mollified by the change to the Half-Ironman distance, which allows the swim to
take place in the protected boat channel of Utah Lake, rather than in the
exposed portion of the lake.
Athletes at the Utah Half-Ironman will be competing for 20
spots to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, as well as a pro prize
purse. Also up for grabs will be 125 qualifying spots to other Ironman North
America events.
Finally, officials from Ironman North America have announced
that the Ralph’s California Half-Ironman will take place on Saturday, April 5,
2003 on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and in the City of Oceanside. The
race, which took place in mid-May in 2002, will also feature a new one-loop
bike course through San Onofre State Park (similar to the Ironman California
bike course), as well as a single transition zone and finish line at the
Oceanside Harbor. The swim will still take place in the Oceanside Harbor, with
the bike course encompassing parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and San
Onofre State Park and the run along the Strand in Oceanside.
The Ralph’s California Half-Ironman will still feature 20
qualifying spots for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii as well as
125 qualifying spots to other Ironman North America events for 2003 and a pro
prize purse.
Registration for all three events opened on September
2nd. For more information, visit
http://www.ironmancda.com,
http://www.ironmanutah.com, and
http://www.ironmancalifornia.com.
