Launched at SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2010, the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge has since raised more than $118,000 for recipient groups. For season 2011/2012, athletes racing at Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie, SunSmart Ironman Western Australia, Ironman Asia Pacific Championship and Ironman Australia can create a Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge fundraising page and raise funds for one of the official recipient groups.

For season 2011/2012 the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge will support the fantastic work of the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland, the KIDS Foundation and the John Maclean Foundation.

“We encourage every athlete who is racing this season to take part in the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge” said Trent Taylor, Ironman’s Managing Director of Sales and Marketing.

“Ironman is often a life changing experience for the athletes themselves, and it is a fantastic opportunity to turn that energy into something even more remarkable. The program is designed to make the process as easy as possible for athletes, and we hope that together we can beat last year’s total of almost $120,000 raised in a single season”.

Mark Betts, a multiple Ironman finisher and Food Spectrum CEO, is a passionate supporter and advocate for children with disabilities; he also pro-actively encourages staff, business partners and other colleagues to take up the cause.

“When you see the challenges these kids and their families overcome everyday it’s so humbling. They are such wonderful people,” said Betts.

“Their amazing spirit inspires me to do more, to find new ways to help. If we can give them a helping hand when they are young, we can make a huge difference to the rest of their life.

“I therefore reach out to all fellow Ironman athletes and urge you to use this opportunity through the Ironman Charity Challenge to make a real difference for these kids who need your help”.

Athletes participating in this season’s Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie, SunSmart Ironman Western Australia, the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship or Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia can register for the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge at www.ironmancharitychallenge.com. At this site, athletes can select their event, their preferred recipient charity and create a personalised Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge fundraising page that will allow them to track their fundraising progress along the way. Athletes can simply send a link to their page to family and friends and let the fundraising begin

The program is being delivered in conjunction with leading on-line fundraising site Everyday Hero. Upon creation of an athlete’s individual fundraising account and page, each athlete will be notified of donations made in support of their efforts; totals will be maintained on their fundraising page and all donors will receive an electronic receipt. The program is designed to make the process as easy as possible for the athlete and their supporters.

For media inquiries about the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge, please contact Trent Taylor at trent.taylor@ironman.com or phone (02) 8815 8161.

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Florida-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC’s portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

ABOUT FOOD SPECTRUM

Brisbane-based Food Spectrum is a recognised world leader in functional and innovative food products and a trusted supplier to major national and international food brand owners. The company proactively supports children with disabilities: as part of the Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge they successfully raised $75,000 for ten ‘Young Champions’ with cerebral palsy at last year’s SunSmart Ironman Western Australia. The funds paid for therapy and specialised equipment and also contributed towards the establishment of a youth theatre project for young people with disabilities, helping to improve their communication skills and sense of self worth.

Urban Hotel Group will return as naming rights sponsor for Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia for a third successive year, and partner as the official Hotel, Host and Hospitality partner for the inaugural Ironman Asia Pacific Championship, to be held Melbourne on March 25, 2012. Urban Hotel Group will also have presence on-site at Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie and SunSmart Ironman Western Australia 2011.

“Urban Hotel Group is the ultimate Ironman sponsor”, said Trent Taylor, Ironman’s Managing Director of Sales and Marketing.

“The Urban team is actively engaged in driving the progression of the sport; they understand the time, energy and dedication that it takes to complete and Ironman, and also how to celebrate in the success and accomplishment that comes with crossing an Ironman finish line.

“We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with the Urban team, and look forward to delivering fantastic events with them in Port Macquarie and Melbourne in 2012,” said Mr. Taylor

With Hotel Urban St.Kilda being just 200 metres from the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship event site in St.Kilda, the hotel will play host to the ‘who’s who’ of the Ironman world during the Melbourne race week, with the world’s best athletes and Ironman identities resting up each night in a signature Urban Snorer bed.

Ricky Jeffs, Group General Manager of Erdigroup, the parent company of the Urban Hotel Group brand said, “We are more than proud to be naming right sponsor of the 27th Ironman Australia. To sponsor any prestigious ironman race is exciting, but to do it for the third consecutive year is wonderful and reinforces Urban’s ongoing commitment to the sport and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.”

The Urban team will be present once again and causing a splash wherever they go. They’ll be down at the course, either competing, cheering along a new friend, or generally showing everyone how to have a great time.  It’s an Urban knack, not just creating hotels that are special places but taking their infectious energy and enthusiasm for what they do, wherever they go, and making that a special place too.  It’s great to have that kind of attitude and commitment on board once again.

Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia will take place in Port Macquarie, NSW on Sunday May 6, 2012. The Ironman Asia Pacific Championship will be held in Melbourne, VIC on Sunday March 25, 2012. Both events require athletes to complete a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike leg and a 42.2km run. Both events are official qualifiers for the prestigious Ironman World Championship. More information is available at www.ironmanmelbourne.com and www.ironmanaustralia.com.

For media inquiries about Ironman, please contact Trent Taylor at trent.taylor@ironman.com or phone (02) 8815 8161. For media inquiries about Urban Hotel Group, please contact Marsha Burns at marsha@hotelurban.com.au or phone (03) 8662 1347.

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON CORPORATION

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Florida-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC’s portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

ABOUT URBAN HOTEL GROUP

Urban Hotel Group offers more than just a hotel experience.  Delivering on a promise to create a home away from home, each property projects a unique and delightful personality that’s a perfect match for the city you’re in.  Big on designer style and modern comforts, Urban offers more fun, more inspiration and more love.

For more information, visit hotelurban.com.au.

Urban.  It will suit you.

As a prelude to the Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia broadcast, SpecSavers Ironman South Africa will air on OneHD on Thursday June 2, 2011 at 2.30pm.

Ironman Australia understands that entries for Ironman Australia 2012 were highly sought after and was and is committed to providing fair and equal opportunity for all athletes to attempt to secure a general entry for the 2012 event. All general entries were made available on a first come first served basis to all athletes. No preferences or pre-registration opportunities were provided to any groups or individuals as part of this general entry registration process.

Ironman Australia wishes to sincerely acknowledge the support and enthusiasm of all athletes who sought to participate in the 2012 event.

For this reason THE CARBO EVENT AS SCHEDULED IS CANCELLED and in its place, three ‘mini carbo’ sessions will take place in the Glasshouse Theatre. Each session will be hosted by Mike Reilly and feature special guests including Craig Alexander and Kane Towns. As the Glasshouse Theatre has a 600 person capacity, sessions will be divided into athlete number range, plus any additional ticket sales to partners and friends within those ticket ranges. All athletes and guests will be required to show their athlete or guest wristband upon entry to the appropriate session.

GLASSHOUSE “SHOW” SCHEDULE – FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2011

Start          End            Athlete Ticket Range
4.30pm    5.10pm    1 to 500 + Ticketed Guests
5.40pm    6.20pm    501 to 1000 + Ticketed Guests + VIP
6.50pm    7.30pm    1001 and above, All 70.3 Athletes and Ticketed Guests

FOOD AND DRINKS

Food Service will take place at the Athlete Recovery Tent located behind the Ironman finish line on Town Green, Port Macquarie. Food Service will be an ‘informal buffet’ with casual seating provided throughout the venue. The menu will include pasta dishes, salads and desserts. Soft drink, water and juice will be available throughout food service. Food service will be available from 5.00pm to 8.00pm and athletes and ticketed guests are welcome to attend food service at any time during this period. Competitor and Carbo guest wristbands will need to be shown upon entry.

Ironman Australia sincerely apologises for any inconvenience this may have caused. We are committed to meeting this challenge head on and continuing to create a fantastic Ironman race week experience for all competitors and supporters.

Ironman and Ironman 70.3 receive entry to the Welcome Dinner by showing their competitor wristbands, while Ironman Australia competitors will receive entry with their wristbands to the Awards Banquet. Please note that the Awards Ceremony for Ironman 70.3 will take place on Sunday evening at the Glasshouse and any Ironman 70.3 competitors wishing to attend the Awards Banquet on Monday evening will need to purchase a ticket.

2011 will see Rudy Project as the Official Eyewear of Ironman Australia, bringing you closer to outstanding excellence in athletic eyewear solutions.

For more than 25 years Rudy Project has been committed to technological innovations offering unique solutions for both elite athletes, and weekend warriors. The unquestionable excellence of the Rudy Project range is attributed to the continuous pursuit of innovation in research, design, and manufacture.

Rudy Project eyewear uses state-of-the-art materials to offer you optimum performance, resistance, and weight affectivity. The range is totally adjustable to assure you a perfect fit and to offer total comfort, with a wide range of lenses to guarantee the best optical solution in any light condition. Selected Rudy Project models offer full optic compatibility ensuring trouble-free prescription lens fitment.

When it comes to safety, Rudy have got you covered. The advanced technology of the ImpactX^™ lens guarantees against breakage or cracks. Made from unyielding polymer materials and with semi-rigid molecular properties, ImpactX^™ represents the very best solution for competitors and athletes in the event of contact, falls or collision.

A rigorous program of experimentation and testing, and a focus on creating and nurturing interactive relationships with athletes globally has ensured Rudy Project is a name synonymous with success and achievement.

Rudy Project eyewear is born from passion. A passion for design, a passion for process, and a passion for winning. The result is astonishing. A merger of form and function, of aesthetics and materials. See for yourself and join the global Rudy Project team athlete team.

As a special offer for all competitors in the 2011 Port Macquarie Ironman series, Rudy Project will provide three (3) sets of additional lenses FREE with the purchase of eyewear from a selected range* designed for Triathlon performance. This amazing deal is valued at $300 (RRP).

2011 PORT MACQUARIE COMPETITOR OFFER : Available on the following models only : Rydon, Magster, Noyz, Zyon, Exowind, Swifty, Kylix Genetyk only. http://www.erudy.com.au/shop/pages.php?pageid=15

Don’t forget to check out Rudy Project on site at Port Macquarie in the athletes’ village from April 27^th- May 2^nd. See the full range of Rudy Project technically cool sport & leisure eyewear, and lifestyle products…. for athletes focused on excellence.

For more information visit : www.erudy.com.au or contact Greg Rule greg@conti.com.au

RUDY PROJECT ARE THE OFFICIAL EYEWEAR OF URBAN HOTEL GROUP IRONMAN AUSTRALIA 2011 AND URBAN HOTEL GROUP IRONMAN 70.3 PORT MACQUARIE 2011

Ricky Jeffs, Group General Manager of Erdigroup, the banner company for their newest Urban Hotel Group brand says “We thought we couldn’t be any more excited after becoming naming rights sponsor of the Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia 2010…we were wrong! We are proud to announce that, for our second year running, we will be teaming up with WTC to bring you the Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia 2011!”

With the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events running side-by-side, along with the new IronKids event, we are going to see an unprecedented financial impact on the location community, international visibility in the form of OneHD’s coverage of the event, and also present a major day in the history of Ironman racing in Australia.

Trent Taylor, WTC Director of Sales and Marketing said, “Urban Hotel Group are such an active sponsor and a fantastic brand to have on board for Ironman Australia. Urban understands Ironman and the time and energy that goes into crossing that finish line, but they also know how to have a great time and celebrate in their success. This infectious attitude creates a fantastic partnership for the event and a great atmosphere for competitors and spectators alike. The Urban team actively support and drive new initiatives at the event and are committed to making the 2011 event the biggest and best yet.

“Every competitor should reward themselves after the race with a stay at one the Urban properties in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and get one of the best night’s sleep you’ll ever have in Urban’s signature snorer beds. You’ll no doubt deserve it!”

Urban Hotel Group is committed to the Australian triathlon community and have made great inroads in entrenching themselves as true supporters of the sport since sponsoring Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia 2010. Urban Hotel Group are now partners with SunSmart Ironman Western Australia, Panthers Tri Club, Tri Fitness, supporting pro racers Leon Griffin, Pete Jacobs and Scott Neyedli, supporting original Ironman Dave Orlowski, Ironman Hall of Famer John Maclean, along with other partnerships aimed at helping young Australians through programs delivered by Food Spectrum Ironman Charity Challenge partners the John Maclean Foundation and KIDS Foundation.

The Urban team will be highly visible on-site throughout the week with a hotel room set up in the Tri Trade Show, the Urban girls attracting attention wherever they go, a raft of Urban sponsored athletes racing and the Urban crew lighting up the Urban Motivational Mile on Clarence Street on race day. For more information about Urban Hotel Group, log on to www.hotelurban.com.au.

Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia and Urban Hotel Group Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie is held on Sunday May 1, 2011 in Port Macquarie, NSW. More than 1,500 athletes will challenge themselves over the Ironman or the Ironman 70.3 distance courses on race day. More information about Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia 2011 is at www.ironmanaustralia.com.

The agreement between World Triathlon Corporation and Network Ten provides Network Ten and One HD with the exclusive Australian free-to-air broadcast rights for Ironman triathlon from 2010 through to 2015. The Ford Ironman World Championship, Ironman Australia and Ironman Western Australia events will be among the twelve one-hour programs aired exclusively each year on Network Ten’s high definition sports channel, One HD.

Alongside these races, One HD will be airing one-hour highlights packages from nine other international Ironman races each year. These programs will provide Australian audiences with access to the best Ironman racing from Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.

World Triathlon Corporation’s Brand Manager, Trent Taylor, said: “This broadcast partnership will enable Australian’s to be captivated by the extraordinary human endeavour that is Ironman. It is the most significant media deal in the history of the sport in Australia.

“Ironman is so much more than a triathlon. For many people it is a once in a lifetime, and often life-changing, experience.

“Many people remember the scene of Julie Moss’ legendary crawl to the finish line in Hawaii in 1982; there are inspiring and courageous stories like this happening in Ironman racing around the world and we are excited that this partnership will enable us to share those stories,” Mr. Taylor said.

More than 100,000 people compete in 25 Ironman events worldwide every year.

To launch this new partnership, the 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship highlights program will be the first Ironman program aired by OneHD and Network Ten.