ISLE FILE
World's top athletes to compete in Hawai'i

Advertiser Staff

The International Triathlon Union announced yesterday that Honolulu will serve as host for the 2005 ITU Age Group Triathlon World Championships.

The event, which will be held Oct. 8-9, is expected to draw more than 2,000 athletes from 50 countries.

"Many of us broke into endurance sport in Honolulu," ITU president Les McDonald said in a statement. "To be returning with the World Championships is like going on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of multi-sport racing."

The race will be run along the same route as the 24-Hour Fitness Honolulu Triathlon and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Triathlon, both of which are scheduled for April 2004. The route will take contestants through a swim along Waikiki beach, a bike race around Diamond Head and a run through Honolulu's tourist district.

"The World Championships is part of the goal of making Hono-lulu an Olympic city," said John Korff, one of the race organizers. "We promised the city and the state that if they support the Olympic trials that we could bring more Olympic quality events to Honolulu."

The 2005 championships is expected to be televised worldwide to more than 1 billion homes, according to a press release. The ITU television package includes one hour of national coverage in the U.S., Japan and throughout the world, with primary coverage in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The triathlon includes a 1,500-meter swim, a 25-mile bike ride and a 6¥-mile run. It has been an Olympic event since the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Athletes competing in the World Championships range in age from 20 to 90. Age divisions are divided into five-year increments. Athletes with disabilities will compete in six different categories.

The ITU's 2003 World Championships is scheduled later this month in Queensland, New Zealand. Next year's event will be held in Madeira, Portugal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.