TriRock Opener A Smash Hit

The Competitor Group (CGI), the global leader in endurance sports media and event entertainment, successfully hosted the inaugural TriRock event on Sunday morning, September 12.

• More than 1,000 athletes participate in sold-out San Diego triathlon

• The Competitor Group successfully enters triathlon event space

• 65% of participants were beginners and 80% of participants purchased one-day USA Triathlon licenses

• Nationwide TriRock Series to launch in 2011

Over 1,000 athletes participated in the sprint distance triathlon that took place in downtown San Diego, the birthplace of CGI’s popular Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the overall success of the first event in the TriRock Series. By providing swim buddies and other resources to guide people through their first triathlon, our goal was to enable people who never imagined they could become a triathlete to reach the finish line,” said Peter Englehart, CEO of CGI, which owns and operates the 16-event Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, publishes both Inside Triathlon and Triathlete Magazines, and holds a captive online endurance community at triathlete.com.

“We look forward to expanding our newest series of events in 2011 and will seek to build on the exploding popularity of triathlon for anyone and everyone who wishes to join in,” added Englehart.

The first event in the TriRock Series was designed for beginners, featuring eight live bands positioned along the course, in the transition area and at the finish line. The musical mash-up of multisport featured a 500-meter swim, 20k bike and 5k run with unique race divisions including a three person relay, Beach Cruiser category and Military/Public Service awards.

Such an environment inspired hundreds of participants to become first-time triathlon finishers. More than 40% we’re first timers, with another 25% having competed in fewer than two previous events. One in three traveled to the event from outside San Diego County and almost two in five were female.

With the iconic Coronado Bridge in the panorama, the first wave of swimmers hit the 65-degree water at 7:00 a.m. to the sounds of the rock ‘n’ roll band Full Revolution, who were positioned in the water on the Aolani catamaran. From the transition zone, participants biked to the 32nd Street Naval Base and back to the San Diego Convention Center. Competitors ended their multisport adventure with a 5k run around the downtown waterfront, before finishing to the sounds of Common Sense at the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops stage.

The fastest times of the day came from two San Diego-area triathletes. Eighteen-year-old Taylor Turner turned in a blazing time of 53:39 to win the overall race. Tanja Hsu represented the 35-39 age group, winning the women’s race in 1:01:56.

“The race atmosphere was very unique,” said Hsu, after crossing the finish line. “The water wasn’t too cold, the bike course was challenging with some technical parts and the run was fun. I really enjoyed the bands on the course. The band in the water was super fun.”

The relay was contested by the celebrity team of “The Bachelor’s” Jake Pavelka and actors Robert Parks-Valetta and John Siciliano, who participated on behalf of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. After the race, athletes enjoyed a breakfast courtesy of The Naked Café and a beer garden sponsored by Michelob Ultra.

For more information, please visit triathlete.com. For new race dates and locations in the 2011 TriRock Series, visit trirockseries.com.

About The TriRock Series

Organized by the Competitor Group, the TriRock Series successfully debuted in San Diego on Sunday, September 12. Like no other series the industry has to offer, TriRock has put the rock in triathlon, taking the racing experience to the next level. Race courses feature a 500-meter swim, 20km bike and 5k run while triathletes listen to their favorite tunes with live bands positioned along the course. Each event features a finish line festival with a beer garden, free food, red carpet finish and a post race concert. For more information, please visit trirockseries.com or call 800-311-1255.

About The Competitor Group

Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), headquartered in San Diego, CA, is the leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and operates more than 45 national events delivering more than 350,000 professional and amateur participants in 2010. CGI publishes four magazine titles with a combined monthly circulation of over 800,000 and has an online endurance community at competitor.com delivering over 1.5 million monthly unique visitors and over 25 million page views. Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at cgimediakit.com.