MEDIA RELEASE

Lance Armstrong will swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles along the Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaii at the 9th Annual Ironman 70.3 Hawaii (Honu) on Saturday, June 2.

The seven-time Tour de France Champion will be among approximately 1,600 athletes looking for a race experience of a lifetime.

On Feb. 9, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) announced its partnership with Ironman aimed to raise more than $1 million for people affected by cancer. Returning to the sport of triathlon, Armstrong is racing as a professional with the goal of qualifying for the 2012 Ironman World Championship, taking place on Oct. 13 in Kailua-Kona.

“The synergy between LiveStrong and Ironman makes the partnership a natural fit,” said Diana Bertsch, Honu Event Director. “It is an exciting and excellent opportunity to not only share the Ironman experience, but to promote fitness and health awareness while helping others. The partnership exemplifies our mantra that, ‘Anything Is Possible.’”

The list of professional triathletes choosing to train and call the island of Hawaii home is growing. The impact of having someone like Armstrong, who is both a celebrity and star endurance athlete, drawing national and international media attention is a great opportunity to showcase Hawaii – the people, the place and the culture. The once-small local race is curious to see what effect having a participant with more than 3.3 million Twitter followers will bring.

Honu, named in honor of the Hawaiian green sea turtle, promises to challenge the toughest and most talented athletes, evoking a glimpse into the past when warriors once traveled over this historical and ancient land.

Armstrong won for the first time this weekend in Florida, where he topped a field of fewer than two dozen pros. His time was 03:45:38.

Armstrong after the Florida race:

“Despite feeling really good, I tried to stay within myself.

“There are guys in this sport that can ride well and get off and run a 1:11 or 1:12. If you can ride close to 2 hours and run a 1:15, 1:16 – and assuming you swim near the front – I think you will always be in contention for the win.

“You’ve got to stay consistent – stay on top of hydration and nutrition. If you are fueled up — and well trained, of course — a lot of good things can happen. This got a response from the crowd: ‘The kid is back!’

“I don’t know, maybe Florida is good – the last time I won was 22 years ago in Florida. The sport of cycling borrowed me for a few decades, but now I’ve come back to my roots, as they say. This got a response from the crowd: ‘Welcome back!’”

Male Top 5 Pros at Florida 70.3

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) 0:24:52 – 02:01:03 – 01:15:56 – 03:45:38
2. Maxim Kriat (UKR) 0:25:12 – 02:11:43 – 01:16:54 – 03:56:56
3. Francesc Godoy (ESP) 0:23:32 – 02:13:14 – 01:19:35 – 3:59:45
4. Andres Castillo Bogota (COL) 0:24:45 – 02:12:30 – 01:20:36 – 4:01:08
5. Mauro Cavanha Curitiba (BRA) 0:24:52 – 02:16:32 – 01:16:48 – 04:02:04

About Honu 70.3

One of nearly 60 events in the global Ironman 70.3 Series, Ironman 70.3 Hawaii leads athletes along a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run on a course that utilizes the Kohala Coast and its surrounding areas.

The point-to-point swim takes place of the shores of Hapuna Beach State Park and the bike course follows the Northern half of the famous Ironman World Championship bike course on the legendary Queen Kaahumanu Highway. Participants will finish with a run through gorgeous resort grounds as they make their way to the finish line at Honu Pointe of The Fairmont Orchid Hotel.

Offering a professional prize purse of $15,000, the race will also award a total of 30 slots for the 2012 Ironman World Championship 70.3, taking place Sept. 9 at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev.

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com