BREAKING NEWS: X-Tri & Australian Ironman 70.3 Events Join Global Series

·         Yeppoon and Canberra events become World Championship 70.3 qualifiers

·         Australian Ironman 70.3 Events Join Global Series

Ironman, in association with X-Tri Australia, announces two new races for the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Series: Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon and Ironman 70.3 Canberra.

Both events will offer 25 qualifying slots for the 2012 Ironman World Championship 70.3, held in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, September 9, 2012. Additionally, both races will feature US$15,000 in prize money and P-500 qualifying status for both the Lake Las Vegas and Kona Pro Ranking series.

On August 14, 2011 the inaugural Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon will take place in and around the Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon in Central Queensland.

The long-established home of Ironman racing in Queensland and event host, Capricorn Resort, is set in 22,000 hectares of pristine natural coastal land just 45km from the regional hub and major airport of Rockhampton.

After ten successful events under the local Half Ironman name, the inaugural Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon will become a qualifying race to the Ironman World Championship 70.3 for the first time. Yeppoon enjoys idyllic conditions in August, allowing athletes from southern Australian states to escape winter and athletes from the northern hemisphere to journey “Down Under” after a summer’s training.

Ironman 70.3 Canberra will take place on December 11 and will be the final Ironman World Championship 70.3 qualifier in 2011.

Racing in the national capital presents a unique environment of urban and rural scenery, combining a lake swim, a ride through the nation’s

Organised through long-time Ironman 70.3 license-holder X-Tri Australia – event managers of the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore – both Yeppoon and Canberra will transition to the Ironman 70.3 Series from the Australian Half Ironman Series, launched more than 15 years ago.

Ironman General Manager (Australia) Shane Smith welcomed Yeppoon and Canberra to the global series. “Ironman is excited to be partnering with X-Tri for Yeppoon and Canberra and, in turn, offering Australians more qualifying slots to the Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Lake Las Vegas, and the professionals an improved prize purse, allowing some of Australia’s best athletes to race on home soil.”

General entry for Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon will open next Tuesday, December 21 at 11am AEDT, while Ironman 70.3 Canberra will open in January, 2011.

For more information on Capricorn Resort Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon, please visit www.IronmanYeppoon.com or email Yeppoon@ironman.com . For Ironman 70.3 Canberra, please visit www.IronmanCanberra.com or email Canberra@ironman.com .