5150 Triathlon Series

Washington DC Triathlon™ Announces Participating Pros

For Immediate Release Contact: Jennifer Devlin, 703-876-1714

Date June 1, 2011 Jennifer.devlin@cox.net

WASHINGTON DC TRIATHLON™ ANNOUNCES PARTICIPATING PROS

FOR JUNE 19, 2011 RACE

Race is Part of the World Triathlon Corporation’s 5150 Series with Top Professional Athletes Competing for a Prize Purse of $25,000

WASHINGTON, DC — Washington DC Triathlon™ organizers announced today the roster of professional triathletes who have registered for the 2011 race, to take place on Sunday, June 19, 2011 in the nation’s capital. The race is part of the World Triathlon Corporation’s 5150 series, with a total prize purse of $25,000 to the top professional athletes. Top age group finishers will qualify for The Hy-Vee 5150 Elite Cup race in Des Moines, Iowa.

A USAT-sanctioned race, the races will start in West Potomac Park along the banks of the Potomac River and will finish on Pennsylvania Avenue and 3^rd Street, NW. The Sprint distance course includes a .8k swim, 20k bike and 7.5k run. The International distance course includes a 1.5k swim in the Potomac River, 40k bike course along DC’s most scenic parkways and a 10k run through Washington’s monumental corridor. The professional men will enter the water at 9:00am and the professional women’s wave will launch at 9:05am.

The 5150 series is the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and is the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age group athletes. The 2011 event schedule started in March in Miami, FL with the Miami International Triathlon and will include 12 domestic events as well as a handful of international races. The Washington, DC Triathlon is the fifth event in the series. The Hy-Vee Triathlon will host the 5150 U.S. Championship, offering professional athletes the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money.

Participating pros signed up to date include:

Professional Men

• James Bales (age 31) – He is a father, doctor and active duty Air Force Officer and the defending US Armed Forces Male Champion. He started out as a varsity swimmer at the US Air Force Academy and took up running and biking during med school. He has nearly a decade of top finishes at triathlon events at both the local and international level.
• James Burns (age 23) from Landenberg, PA – James is enjoying his first year as a pro. He was a four year varsity runner in both track and cross country at George Mason University, competing in the National Triathlon Collegiate Championship his senior year and placing 4^th overall.

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• Kalen Darling (age 24) from Honolulu, HI — Kalen Darling is a senior at Whitworth College, an All-American on the Whitworth swimming team and one of the leaders on the Pirates’ nationally-ranked men’s cross country team. Last fall, he won the U23 division of the USA Triathlon Elite National Championships, his first national title in the sport.
• Michael Fox (age 23) from Australia – The winner of the Batemans Bay TriSeries Olympic Distance Triathlon, his second TriSeries triathlon win of the 2010/2011 series, Michael also took and kept the lead of the Huskisson Olympic Distance Triathlon.
• Thomas Francis (age 32) from Portland, ME.
• Paul Matthews (age 27) from Australia – Competing in triathlons since the age of 11, , Paul moved through the Australian Triathlon Junior ranks, winning the 16-19 year age group at the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada. He is now focusing on the 70.3 Half Ironman Series and has collected two wins and numerous podium finishes.
• Michael Poole (age 19) from New Zealand – He placed 3^rd in the 2011 Wellington OUT Triathlon Oceania Championships and 1^st in the 2010 Whangamata triathlon in New Zealand.
• Branden Rakita from Durango, CO – He got interested in the sport of triathlon when his dad qualified for the USAT World Championships in 2000. In 2001, he competed at the USAT World Qualifier and qualified for the Worlds Team. His first pro race was the 2004 Elite National Championship I, where he placed 33^rd. He is working toward a run at the World Championships.
• Matty Reed (age 36) from Boulder, CO – Originally from New Zealand, qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games with a win at the US Olympic Team Trials in Tuscaloosa, AL. He placed first in the 2010 Rev3 Knoxville Triathlon and a close second at St. Anthony’s 5150 series. His brother is also an elite triathlete who competes for New Zealand.
• Tim Reed (age 26) from Lord Howe Island, Australia – He became a pro athlete in 2010, placing first in four races. In 2011, he has competed in four events with his best finish being 3^rd place at the Busselton 70.3 in WA, Australia.
• Robert Wade (age 29) from Arlington, VA – He placed first among elite men in both the 2010 Nation’s Triathlon and the 2010 Nautica New York Triathlon. This is his first year competing as a pro.
• Andrew Yoder (age 21) from Lancaster, PA – Yoder won his first professional race in 2010 at the Columbia Triathlon. He successfully defended that win in 2011, breaking the course record.

Professional Women

• Amy Bevilacqua (age 37) from Wilton, VA – A mother of four, Bevilacqua won the KIC IT Triathlon in Stamford in 2010.
• Amanda Felder Derkacs (age 29) from San Jose, CA – A two-time collegiate National Champion, most recently she placed 5^th in the 2011 Miami International Triathlon.
• Jenny Fletcher – A former fashion model, Jenny Fletcher scored several impressive top 5 finishes in her first year as a pro triathlete in 2010, including second at the South Beach Nautica Tri and second at the Elkhart Lake Triathlon. She will focus on 70.3 events this season to capitalize on her strength as a cyclist.

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• Alicia Kaye (age 28) from Smithers, British Columbia – Alicia discovered the sport of triathlon at the age of 12. She qualified for her first national team in 1999 and since then has raced internationally. She placed 10^th in the 2011 Clermont ITU Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup and 17^th in the 2011 Monterrey ITU Triathlon World Cup.
• Becky Keller (age 32) from Charlottesville, VA – She raced her first triathlon event in 2002. She placed 19^th in the Rimini ITU Dualthlon World Championships held in 2008.
• Missy Kuck (age 35) from Dayton, OH — A pediatric occupational therapist, she finished 8^th among pro women at the REV3 Knoxville Triathlon in March 2011.
• Becky Lavelle (age 36) from Minnetonka, MN – USAT’s Multi-Sport Triathlete of the Year for both 2006 and 2008, she was the champion of the 2008 Toyota Cup Series and a US Olympic Team alternate.
• Sara McLarty (age 28) from Deland, FL – A former USA Triathlon “Rookie of the Year,” she currently lives and trains in Clermont, Florida. Dominant in the swim leg, she is the winner of the 2010 Lifetime Fitness Race to the Toyota Cup Series and finished second in the Miami International Triathlon.
• Jennifer Tetrick from California – She went pro in 2010, finishing 13^th in her first race – the 2010 Chicago Triathlon. She also finished first in her age group during the Inaugural DC Tri. In her spare time she is a volunteer with Athletes Without Limits.

Brought to you by the producers of The Nation’s Triathlon™, the race will feature Sprint and Olympic distance courses that wind through DC’s monumental corridors with a spectacular finish along Pennsylvania Avenue – America’s Main Street – in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol Building. Space is limited and the race is 95% sold out — those interested in participating in this race are urged to register quickly at www.DCTri.com.

About the Washington DC Triathlon™ (www.DCTri.com)

The Washington DC Triathlon™, a 5150 event brought to you by the producers of The Nation’s Triathlon™, offers a Sprint and International distance course set against the historic backdrop of Washington, DC – TriTown USA – and its magnificent monuments and national treasures. Sponsors for the 2011 race include: The Bike Rack, Cosi, Georgetown Running Company, POM Wonderful, PowerAde Zero, Sports + Spinal Physical Therapy, Qdoba, U-Haul, VidaFitness, and Xterra Wetsuits.

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