Rinny To Race Challenge St. Andrews
Mirinda Carfrae and Timothy O’Donnell have announced that they will be racing the newest Challenge Race on Canadian soil, the Kingsbrae Garden, Challenge St. Andrews Triathlon on July 6th. Carfrae, two-time winner of the Hawaii Ironman World Championship will race both Challenge Atlantic City and Challenge St. Andrews in 2014. Carfrae holds the course record in Hawaii and married O’Donnell, the Ironman Brazil Champion and fifth place Kona finisher, this past fall. The super-star couple will compete with other pro athletes for a prize purse of $30 000 CAD in St. Andrews. Olympic Gold and Silver medallist Simon Whitfield and Chris “Macca” McCormack, the two-time Hawaii World Champion, will take part in the entire race weekend to promote the event and the region.
Challenge St. Andrews is the second Canadian venue and one of five North American Challenge events. Tressa Bevington, the race manager, said: “We are thrilled to make this announcement and to see Mirinda and Tim choosing St. Andrews on their racing schedule in 2014. We are very excited to meet both of them and watch two of the sport’s Superstars race in the Maritimes. Along with so many of the top Pro athletes racing, our registrations for July have surpassed our expectations and we currently have athletes registered from all across the United States and Canada, as well as Europe. We will be featuring Kids races, running events, an amazing Athlete Expo along with Maritime music and hospitality. We know that our event will introduce many new families to the region and hopefully they will consider coming back throughout the year to take part in other great events that take place here in the Maritimes.”
Carfrae commented, “I can’t wait to experience a new full distance race on the East Coast and welcome Challenge to North America. Both St Andrews and Atlantic City are new travel destinations for me. Although I won’t be going the distance in Atlantic City I’ll participate in the Challenge Aquabike soaking in the fast and flat bike course through vineyards and miles of blueberry fields as well as finishing on the historic boardwalk of Atlantic City. This format will allow me to cheer athletes on the run and the finish line. I’ll be racing the following weekend at Challenge St Andrews and looking forward to enjoying the hospitality and charm of this quaint seaside village located on the southern tip of New Brunswick.”
O’Donnell echoed Carfrae’s enthusiasm. “I’m excited to be on the starting line for both new Challenge Family events this summer. The venues of Atlantic City, NJ and St. Andrews, NB look like ideal race destinations. I’m honored to be racing in Atlantic City as part of a relay team, and then going for the win the following weekend in picturesque New Brunswick, Canada. With Challenge’s superb reputation for a great race experience, I know these inaugural events will be memorable for all the participants and their families!”
St. Andrews also announced this week that they have opened a military category and are partnering with Wounded Warriors Canada to raise funds and awareness for Canadian Military personnel struggling with a variety of issues as they transition from the Military.
To learn more about the event visit: www.challenge-standrews.com
