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WTC Launches 5i50 Series...

Created: Thursday, 07 October 2010 16:57

Last Updated: Thursday, 07 October 2010 19:59

Thursday, 07 October 2010 16:57

Written by Jerry MacNeil

5150 By Dan Empfield (Slowtwitch.com) - World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of the Ironman series of triathlons, formally made the long-awaited announcement yesterday of its foray into short-course racing.

The new distance is called 5150 (or 5i50), with Ironman's ubiquitous dot over an "i", reminiscent of its M-dot logo accompanying the Ironman races.

The series promises professional athletes "the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money." No breakdown of how that money will be paid out is listed in the press announcement....

At its 2010 event, the Hy-Vee race itself paid out roughly $750,000 in prize money. That race, held on Des Moines, Iowa, was sub-titled the ITU Triathlon Elite Cup in 2010, and for 2011 becomes the 5150 Elite Cup. The Hy-Vee race website already bears the name change. This race also serves as the 5150 U.S. Championship, while the final race on the 2011 calendar, held in November in Clearwater, Florida, will serve as the "Series Finale."

Several 5150 series race owners contacted by Slowtwitch referenced Ironman's power and knowledge of how to conduct a campaign of races across the arc of a season.

"Ironman knows how to produce a series," said Charles Brodsky, owner of The Nation's Tri contested in September, as well as a June race on the 5150 calendar.

Brodsky also noted that his June race (formerly a race on the ITU calendar) will benefit from the formidable advertising and notice presented in all of Ironman's publications, presumably incuding Lava Magazine.

Nautica New York City Triathlon's John Korff also found value in an Ironman partnership. His race bolts from the Life Time Fitness Series, and moves from the Race to the Toyota Cup to the 5150 Elite Cup. What Korff envisions is that, "New York will likely be a cornerstone for the series because it's New York.

"I feel the association with the Ironman brand is an equal brand partnership with the brand New York City," Korff also noted. "That's the appeal and why I signed up."

The races will be staged in a no-draft format. The 2011 series will consist of:

2011 5150 Series (United States)
March 13: Miami International Triathlon (Miami, Fla.)
May 1: St. Anthony