Major League Triathlon Coming to Avon, CO

Charlotte, NC (January 27, 2017) – Major League Triathlon is thrilled to announce that the third event of the 2017 MLT season will be held in Avon, Colorado, on Saturday, August 26. This will be the first stop in Colorado for the series and will be a home race for the Colorado Peaks team.
Major League Triathlon is the first and only professional triathlon league in the United States. Fielding eight mixed-gender teams of four in a relay format, the series hosts races in major triathlon destinations and cities across the country in viewer-friendly venues that brings spectators close to Olympians and world-class athletes as they face off in a grueling short- course format.

 
“We are thrilled to hold a race in Avon and bring our series to Colorado,” Daniel Cassidy, CEO of MLT, said. “This is an incredibly picturesque part of the world, and Nottingham Lake is the perfect setting for Major League Triathlon. The Vail Valley also happens to be one of my favorite places on earth, so I couldn’t be happier than to bring this event to such a special place.”
 
The eight teams in this professional triathlon event will consist of 32 of the best elite triathletes in the world. Each athlete will swim three hundred meters, bike four miles and run one mile in Nottingham Park before tagging their next teammate in line to complete the same circuit. The first team to have all four athletes cross the finish line will win.
 
The short and fast-paced nature of the event, a style popularized in Australia, offers a distinct viewer experience as the athletes swim, bike, run and transition directly in front of spectators. Adding to the experience, a youth and amateur ‘Splash ’n Dash’ event will be held in conjunction with the professional race.
 
This event will be free and open to the general public. Adding to the excitement of professional and potential youth/amateur races, a vendor expo, festival and concert are planned for post-race entertainment at the Nottingham Performance Pavilion.
 
Local professional triathlete and Edwards resident, John O’Neill will be representing the Colorado Peaks team, the designated home team for the event in Avon.  “I’ve had the opportunity to race against high-caliber triathletes from every corner of the world,” O’Neill said. “To go up against that world-class level of competition in the Vail Valley— literally in the lake, on the roads and in front of the town in which I spend my time training— is a rare, high-pressure scenario to perform at my best. I can’t wait.”
 
O’Neill has raced professionally for the United States in triathlon since 2013, garnering 34 international starts and 3 international podiums in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) race circuit.  “Colorado seems to have these deep ties to endurance sports and triathlon, with nearby Boulder being a sort of mecca for triathletes,” O’Neill said. “Vail also has a deep history of incredible sporting events, having hosted ski and mountain bike world cups and world championship races. Having Major League Triathlon come to town will be an incredible way to showcase and expand that high-level of competition this town and state loves.”
 
 
Major League Triathlon is the first and only professional triathlon league in the United States. Major League Triathlon hosts races in major cities across the United States. MLT was formed in 2016 with the goal of creating a more spectator-friendly version of triathlon. MLT aims to grow the sport of triathlon on both an amateur and professional level.
 
Complete list of MLT events here
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