|
 
Hi there,
Welcome to what could be called our end of season, or beginning of season newsletter depending what hemisphere you live in.
In this issue we’ve news of the Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman Triathlon and the Capricorn Ultimate Aussie Team Challenge – both based at the exciting Rydges Capricorn Resort at Yeppoon in Central QLD.
Then there’s an update for the Aviva Ironman 70.3, set in sensational Singapore in September!
And not to forget the Canberra City Half Ironman and the Canberra Ultimate Aussie Team Challenge, can do races in the nation’s capital that are now open for entry.
Our three major events for the coming 2008 / 2009 triathlon season commence with the 2008 Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman on August 17th.
The ninth edition of this event (just so you know that 2009 is going to be VERY big!) is the best excuse ever to "escape winter!" The Capricorn Half draws athletes from every state and territory in Australia, and this year a record number of Kiwis too, together with a smattering of other overseas athletes! Oh! And there’s more surprises to come, we can tell you that in 2008 there’ll be some new names and faces at Yeppoon and not just amongst the athletes.
X-Tri is very proud to announce that joining our regular supporters, Rydges, Enervit, Tri Travel, Blue Seventy and the local names in both Yeppoon and Canberra are the strongly established triathlon icons, Zoot and Erox giving our events a truly international flavour. And why is this? Well Blue Seventy hails from the land of the long white cloud, the homeland to Ironman New Zealand, while Erox is a Swiss company from the home of Ironman Switzerland. And if that’s not impressive enough, Zoot was born of the big island of Hawaii in a small town called Kona. That’s right the very firm that grew from making cloths for Iron men and Iron women!
The Kiwi Blue Seventy Swim, the Swiss Erox Ride and the USA Zoot Run will make up the event; with the same great names also naming the primes on offer – this year open to ALL competitors.
Oh! And those other big names? Well don’t be surprised to find just a few toeing the start line for the Rydges Capricorn Half at Yeppoon this year in preparation for heading north to Singapore just weeks later!
Here’s a race that’s kindly to athletes, with an 8:00am start, and to families too as it’s about 50 metres from accommodation to transition, and the crèche!
This race has a great family holiday atmosphere and a finish line unlike any other – anywhere else in the world!
The event is also an important validation race for Ironman Australia in 2009, (and the first on the east coast!) and a qualifier for the future Australian Long Distance team.
And did we tell you it’s the QLD Long Distance Championship also?
Entry is open to the 600 individual athletes only, and of course the event closely emulates all the fun of a full Ironman at way less than half the cost, less than half the time, a lot less than half the pain, and exactly half the distance!
The 2008 Rydges Capricorn Half Ironman will once again feature the traditional down current 1.9km Blue Seventy swim (looking for a PB?) the flat but not so easy 90km five-lap Erox bike course that soaks up more scenery per kilometre than most, and is topped by the sensational 21km three-lap Zoot run through the 22,000 hectare grounds of the Rydges Resort.
Mix in great training roads and trails, the biggest Expo ever, optional welcome and presentation functions and this race truly emulates all the fun of a full Ironman - and we do accentuate the word fun!
Event entry includes the traditional Yeppoon ‘hoodie’, a Half Ironman Series finisher’s towel, race kit including swim cap, bibs and bike/helmet numbers plus sponsor’s samples. And there’s some awesome event merchandise available also! And all as you enter on line through our secure entry facility.
And there’s Aeromax Training programs for all entries too!!
Check it out as at www.capricornhalf.com - Escape Winter, and if you come for the race, why not stay for a holiday!
And Wait There's More:
Remember when entering to list your club or training squad as every year we count the entries from each squad and club, with the leading clubs gaining FOC entries!
Already we’ve some clubs breaking away, with Noosa, Maitland, Coffs Harbour, East Coast Cycos, In Training and Redcliffe out front on the club entry count already. There are entries so far from 56 clubs and yet there are entries from 68 people who don’t list a club!
Queensland leads the entry list on 88, from NSW with 43, Victoria on 22, and there are seven overseas entries so far. South Australia and West Australia have five each and the ACT 4, with Tasmania with 3. We’re looking for our first NT entry!
At the moment our youngest competitor is 18 and our oldest 58...
Well, back to the race and why do people love this event so much? Well the drinks on course are chilled, of course (we are in one of the best resorts after all!); the aid stations second to none and you'll be willed on throughout your race by sensational volunteers! There's excellent back up in medical throughout the day and at the finish there's the traditional X-tri ice cream and fruit salad, chilled drinks and what other race has a swimming pool you can run straight into!
There's so much more than just a race happening in Yeppoon.
Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore
AS Yeppoon winds down the action turns to the second edition of the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore; set to run some hot laps of sensational Singapore in September!
With a revised course set for September 7th 2008, Hi Tri Events present an awesome event that will leave you spell bound, in a country that is just so exciting... locals call Singapore the city that never sleeps and there’s an after party atmosphere from the time you arrive to the time you have to leave.
The Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore is the big time and has 75 slots on offer to the Foster Grants Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida for November 2008.
If you like to compete alongside the world’s best then the $50,000 USD in prize money should ensure the best of the best head to Singapore. The race is the richest Ironman 70.3 outside the USA and pays world record prize money.
And our age group athletes have not been forgotten, with FOC training programs from Aeromax International, an awesome expo, and at just weeks from Hawaii, and conducted in the same type of weather, an awesome opportunity to prepare and race ahead of the ultimate triathlon.
The Hi-Tri crew are working on another great athlete pack and this event has a sensational finisher’s medal, towels, shirts etc. And this year, both the Carbo and Presentation functions are built in the entry fee - so plan a LONG weekend for this one and maybe some shopping and tourist time too!
Tri Travel can get you there, and home again.
With Tiger Airlines flying into Singapore from Perth, Darwin and Melbourne and Singapore Airlines doing great deals from Sydney there’s also some travel bargains to be had!
All the information you need is at www.ironman703singapore.com and www.tritravel.com.au
Canberra City Half Ironman
In 2007 we dusted it off, spruced it up, cleaned and checked and re-readied the Canberra City Half Ironman for you the competitor as the event in which to truly challenge yourself, once again!
In 2008 it’s back, bigger and better than ever before and with a brand new identifying logo as well!
And this year, joining ACT Tourism, Rydges, Enervit, TriTravel and Blue Seventy as major supporters of the race are Erox and Zoot – a great team of support for the event and it’s participants.
The eighth edition is set for the nation’s capital on December 14th 2008!
The course, as in 2007, is modelled on the 2006 World Championship LD course, rated one of the fairest and toughest ever by winner, Torjborn Sindballe of Finland. In its Half Ironman version, the course now features a one-lap rectangular Blue Seventy fresh water swim, a three lap Erox bike course, set mainly on flat to undulating roads, with some hills (of course!) and the Zoot run through the mostly flat CBD parklands of Canberra brings you to the gala finish in Commonwealth Park at Rond Terraces, the HQ venue for the event.
You just have to visit this event and you just have to challenge yourself!
As the penultimate round of the Snap Half Ironman series the Canberra City Half Ironman will also represent the last Half Ironman chance in which to validate your entry to the 2009 Ironman Australia race before the grand finale, the Ironman 70.3 at Geelong.
This year we’ll have something special as Zoot becomes the official merchandise for the event! Look for some great clothing; and each and every competitor will be getting an exclusive Zoot tech-tee top too, as well as the Half Ironman series towel and other goodies!
Early bird entry opens June 1st through June 30th, with normal entry then in place through to late November... don't forget that all entries also receive generic training programs from Aeromax International as well - what a deal!
Volunteers
We've also opened the Volunteer sign-on for the Canberra City Half Ironman even. If you would like to join the volunteer team at this race, just sign on through the event site at www.canberrahalf.com
You can match your expertise to a job, through the on-line forms and get to cheer on all the event competitors, usually much closer to the action than normally is possible! We are looking to do more for our volunteers in 2008, including having a volunteer lucky draw at each event, with some good prizes for the winners!
So, what are you waiting for; enter now and save some money; get that training program and start to prepare for the year's last Half Ironman right now!
HOUSEKEEPING:
Lost Property:
We hope to shortly list Lost Property to the relevant pages of www.x-tri.com.au – we’re currently clearing our storage sheds and there’s quite a bit of gear there!
Volunteers
We've opened the Volunteer sign-on for our Australian events. If you would like to join the volunteer team at any of our races, just sign on through the event sites at www.capricornhalf.com and www.canberrahalf.com
You can match your expertise to a job, through the on-line forms and get to cheer on all the event competitors, usually much closer to the action than normally is possible! We are looking to do more for our volunteers, including having a volunteer lucky draw at each event, with some good prizes for the winners!
AND WAIT THERE’S MORE:
The folks at Erox know you’re trying to save some cents, so they’ve looked at some specials for the entrants to the Capricorn Half Ironman at Yeppoon
From 1st June there’s a special offer for all entrants at Capricorn Half Ironman:
For a short time only you can buy a set of EROX Ultra 800 or 700 wheels @ 15 % discount (RRP $1990).
This offer is valid until 17th August 2008 – but order through the EROX webpage - http://www.eroxaustralia.com/
Please Note: Delivery could take up to eight (8) weeks - Conditions do apply
For Canberra entrants EROX have a different offer, in fact a set of offers!:
Their EROX Zipper II bike shoe will be on special at AUD $149.00 (RRP $199) and there’s 20% off bike garments too – so dress for success!
There’s also a SUPER Special 15% off EROX Quarra Extraspeed Frame (RRP $2990)
And these specials are valid until 14th December 2008 and Conditions do apply
Well, time to sign off, wish you safe training and great racing as you can...
The X-Tri Team
"Good Sports!" | 
