Ironman Arizona Preview
The ninth edition of the race goes Sunday November 18.
The first Ironman Arizona took place on April 9, 2005 and the ninth edition of the flat and fast race takes place this coming Sunday in Tempe, Arizona.
Athletes will swim a single-loop swim in Tempe Town Lake, followed by a challenging three-loop bike course through the Sonoran Desert and finishes with a spectator-friendly run around Tempe Town Lake and Papago Park. There are 50 qualifying slots for the Ironman World Championship.
Check out the expected professional start list below. Expect there to be a few changes to the list come race day.
| Pro Men | Pro Women |
| Abel Torsten Allen Richard Beardall Timothy Becker Blake Bohach Adam Brown Dan Butterfield Tyler Cartmell Fraser Cunningham Richie Daerr Justin Dragstra Luke Elliot Lewis Frommhold Nils Ganter Christopher Garcia Derek Gerlach Thomas Halpin Brendan Ham Yeunsik Hast Jarmo Hecht Mathias Hemet Nicolas Jaskolka Marek Kovac Matjaz Lowe Tom Marcotte Kyle Mikelson Ian Milam Jared Mueller Daniel O’Meara Adam Passuello Domenico Paul Jeff Poterebitsch Georg Reed Matty Ressler Markus Rhodes Bryan Rosales-Yepez Jose Russell Matthew Sundberg Swen Taddonio Kevin Thurston Heath Tollakson TJ Toth Anthony Van Berkel Jan Vrabel Jozef Vuckovic Stephan Watson Jason Wetzel Michael Woodward Alun Wyss Manuel |
Abraham Corinne Bromme Uli Cave Leanda Corbin Linsey Deim Trish Ferreira Amber Gordon Jacqui Gross Sara Homo Malaika Kessler Meredith Kozulina Tamara LaMacchia Leslie Lewis Cindy Lie Kristin Mannweiler Kathrin Pekerman Nina Piampiano Sarah Schwabenbauer Kim Shutt Beth Smith Jessica Vaidyanathan Anu van der merwe Natasha Weerd Mirjam Wernick Charisa Williamson Kelly Young Erin |
IRONMAN Foundation Gives Back to Tempe, Arizona
The IRONMAN Foundation Community Fund will give $50,000 in grant funding to non-profit groups in the Tempe, Ariz., community in support of IRONMAN Arizona this year. The IRONMAN Foundation’s contribution will provide support to local nonprofit needs and initiatives within the community.
The IRONMAN Foundation will also donate $10,000 to the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Children’s Fund to assist in youth service programs, as well as donate bicycles to the Native American community to be used for the Kid’s Triathlon, held the weekend prior to the IRONMAN race.
In addition to allocating funds back into the Arizona community, the IRONMAN Foundation provides athletes with the platform to fundraise for a nonprofit beneficiary of their choice as they train for their IRONMAN event. More than 40 athletes have signed up to participate in the IRONMAN Foundation’s “Your Journey, Your Cause” program as part of the Nov. 18 race. These athletes have been touched by something greater than themselves and are fundraising to make their race experience more than just crossing the finish line – they are racing for a cause. Collectively they have raised over $55,000 for their respective causes.
The IRONMAN Foundation’s featured athlete, Thad Beaty, guitarist for Sugarland, the Grammy award winning country band, is participating through the “Your Journey, Your Cause” initiative. He is not only racing in honor of a friend who passed away from cancer, but also to fundraise for MusiCares, the nonprofit arm of the Grammy Foundation that provides a safety net of critical assistance for people in the music industry during times of need. Together with the IRONMAN Foundation, and by engaging fellow IRONMAN participants, he is creating awareness for his cause.
For more information on IRONMAN and The IRONMAN Foundation, please visit www.ironman.com and www.ironmanfoundation.org.