Projo Running Blog

From Eident Sports Marketing regarding this weekend's race:

More than 1,500 Athletes Will Make a Splash and Pound the Pavement in Sunday's Inaugural Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island

Providence, RI - More than 1,500 endurance athletes representing 15 countries and 53 states/US territories are slated to converge in the Ocean State this weekend to compete in the Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island on Sunday, July 13. This inaugural event consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

Participants - both amateurs and professionals ranging in age from 18-70 years-old - are coming from as far away as Australia and Switzerland to compete in this unique event that will showcase South County, the State Capitol and surrounding communities. Over 300 athletes from Rhode Island are also expected to participate.

The Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island will utilize a variety of the state's scenic areas. The 1.2 mile swim will be held at Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett. Following the swim, athletes will ride 56 miles starting on North on Rte. 1A into North Kingstown before turning West to Rte. 102. The bike course encompasses Exeter, West Greenwich, Coventry, Scituate and Johnston. The bike route finishes at the State Capitol and transitions to the 13.1 half-marathon run course through the East Side of Providence. The two-loop run course takes athletes through the historic East Side of Providence, tree-lined Blackstone Boulevard, Brown University campus and downtown Providence's business district. The race finishes with a backdrop of the State Capitol and Providence Place Mall.

The winner of the Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island is expected to cross the finish line at approximately 9:50 a.m. There will be a professional prize purse of $25,000 and 50 qualifying slots for pro and age group athletes to the 2008 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place on November 8, 2008, in Clearwater, Fla.

Oscar Galindez is among the top professionals entered in Sunday's event. Galindez has won Ironman Brazil three times and was the runner-up at last year's Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3. He is a is a four-time Ironman 70.3 Pucon champion and holds several other top five finishes in various Ironman 70.3 events.

Lisa Bentley from Ontario, Canada is among top females expected to compete on Sunday. She has won at least one Ironman event in each of the last fives years and considered one of the most successful Ironman athletes in the sport. She has six top-ten finishes at the well-known Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Pro Terry Kerrigan, a native of Rhode Island, returns to his home state on Sunday to compete.

About Amica Insurance
Amica Mutual Insurance Company, the nation's oldest mutual insurer of automobiles, was founded in 1907. The company is a national writer of automobile, homeowners, marine, and personal umbrella liability insurance. Life coverage is available through Amica Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. Amica employs more than 3,000 people in 39 offices across the country.

About Eident Sports Marketing
Eident Sports is a full-service event management and sports marketing company based in Providence, Rhode Island. Eident has several properties in the region, ranging from turn-key sporting events to sponsorship sales alliances with key partners. For more information on Eident's events and offerings, please visit www.eidentsports.com

About Ironman 70.3
Due to the overwhelming demand of athletes, Ironman announced a new event series in 2005 called Ironman 70.3. Previously known as the Half-Ironman and comprised of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run, the events would now be distinguished by the mileage covered during the event. While the distance had been around for decades, there would be nearly a dozen new events in the series and for the first time ever, a world championship event at that distance. All Ironman 70.3 Events would culminate at the Ironman World Championship 70.3 that takes place each November in scenic Clearwater, FL. Now with more than 30 events in the global series, in locations such as Austria, Newfoundland, Singapore, Cancun and South Africa, the participation from new and seasoned athletes alike continues to increase.

 Tags  Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island triathlon

Comments

Jess said:

I'm really upset that the second place finisher was hit by a car. I posted that during the Providence Half Marathon I felt unsafe on some of the roadways. I would have thought that there would be even more safety precautions for the half Ironman.

I'd like to see some follow up as to what is being done about aggressive drivers during RI Road races of all kinds.

Link | July 14, 2008 3:41 PM
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Liliana M said:

I had a driver that was stuck in a small traffic line yell at me; "you guys are all f... a......"
Not sure the city made what needed to be done. Aggressive driving, and also some athletes were just plain not careful.
Spectators were awsome!!

Link | July 15, 2008 4:42 PM
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