Defending Champions Highlight USAT Duathlon Nationals Field

The race will once again take place in Oro Valley, Ariz.

See the press release from USA Triathlon below:

Fourteen defending national champions and five duathletes of the year highlight a field of nearly 600 athletes set to compete Saturday in Tucson/Oro Valley, Ariz., at the 2012 USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championship, presented by Trisports.com.

Ventana Medical Systems will once again host duathletes seeking titles in both standard-distance (5-kilometer run, 35-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run) and sprint-distance (2.5k run, 17k bike, 2.5k) events, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. The Paraduathlon National Championship will also take place as part of the sprint-distance event. New this year is a free Kids Fun Run, which will be held on Friday at 5:45 p.m.

Returning national champions from 2011 include:

• Shannon Hawrylo (25-29, Reston, Va.)
• Jesson Baumgartner (25-29, Wakuee, Iowa)
• Gail Kattouf (35-39, Greenville, S.C.)
• Dave Slavinski (40-44, Point Pleasant, N.J.)
• Kirsten Chapman (45-49, Edmond, Okla.)
• Patty Peoples-Resh (55-59, Redlands, Calif.)
• Scott Hajicek (55-59, Lakewood, Colo.)
• Ruth King (60-64, Ambler, Pa.)
• Steve Ruckert (60-64, Woodbine, Md.)
• Corinna Goodman (70-74, Oro Valley, Ariz.)
• Warren Taylor (70-74, Telford, Pa.)
• Edward Maruna (80-84, Arvada, Colo.)
• David Kyle (TRI-3, Athens, Ala.)
• Michael Johnston (TRI-5, San Diego, Calif.)

Kattouf and Slavinski also earned the overall standard-distance national titles and were named Duathlete of the Year and Masters Duathlete of the Year, respectively, while Peoples-Resh was named Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year. Ann Davidson (Portland, Ore., Masters Duathlete of the Year) and Keith Woodward (Stowe, Vt., Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year) are also on the start list.

Duathlon Nationals is the sole qualifying event for the 2012 Standard-Distance ITU Duathlon World Championships in Nancy, France, on Sept. 22-23. The top 18 finishers in each age group, rolling down to 25th place, will qualify for Team USA. Paraduathletes finishing the race in 2 hours or less will qualify for 2012 ITU Paraduathlon World Championships. Athletes competing in the sprint-distance Duathlon National Championship or the sprint open wave are not eligible to qualify for Team USA or the ITU World Championships.