Ironkids

The IronKids Triathlon Series is a series of triathlons owned or licensed by the World Triathlon Corporation [ [http://www.ironman.com/corporate/licensees/info Uh-Oh... » IRONMAN.com ] ] (perhaps best known for the Ironman Triathlon Championship and race series) that is held around the U.S for children ages 7 to 14. The series started in 1985 and since then more than 40,000 kids have participated, including some very famous alumni like Lance Armstrong.

Competition

The competition is divided by gender and one-year age groups and in age-appropriate distances for swimming, biking and running (in that order). Children 7, 8, 9 and 10 are classified as "juniors" and compete in a 100 meter swim, a 5 kilometer bike and a 1 kilometer run. Children 11, 12, 13 and 14 are classified as "seniors" and compete in a 200 meter swim, 10 kilometer bike and 2 kilometer run.

The age groups start in heats, with each boys' age groups starting before the girls' age group. The first age group to start are the 14-year old boys, followed by the 14-year old girls, and this continues down the age groups to the 7-year old girls, the final group to start.

For ease of identification, the numbers assigned to each competitor indicate their age group, e.g. an eight-year old's number will be 800-899, an 11-year old's number will be 1100-1199, etc.

In addition to the individual race there are relay divisions where each leg of the triathlon is completed by a different child.

There is also a "challenged IronKids" division for disabled children

Kid Friendly

A unique feature of the IronKids Triathlon Series is that the bike and run portions of the triathlon are held on closed courses, i.e. not on streets open to automobiles. This, and the high number of volunteers who line the entire course, make this a very safe and kid-friendly event. The bike and run courses are also run on multiple loops making them very viewer friendly.

National Series

The triathlons are held across the United States. In 2006 the triathlons will be held in Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Colorado; Allen, Texas; Napa, California; Lawrence, Kansas and Tempe, Arizona.

Famous Alumni

Many world-class triathletes started their triathlon career in the IronKids Triathlon Series including Olympian Hunter Kemper (whose 5 IronKids national championships stood as a record until 2002 when Kelsey Tucker won her 6th), World Champ bronze-medalist Laura Reback, Olympian Nick Radkewich and Olympian, World Champ and 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. [ [http://www.usatriathlon.org/Development/ironkids_alumni.htm] Dead link|date=March 2008]

"Every Finisher is a Winner"

The IronKids Triathlon Series promotes friendly competition where “Every Finisher is a Winner”. Everyone who competes in the triathlons gets to break the finishers' tape and receives an IronKids pin, sponge, T-shirt and swim cap.

See also

*Triathlon
*Duathlon

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.ironkids.com/ver2/ IronKids Website]