500 athletes from over 25 countries expected to compete in October 21, 2007 event

Richmond has been chosen to host the 2007 World Long Course Duathlon Championships, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) has announced. The winning bid was submitted by the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers.

Duathlon is a biking and running event. Competition in next year's event in Richmond will feature a 15K (9.3 miles) run, followed by an 80K (49.7 miles) bike ride, then another 7.5K (4.66 miles) run through the streets of downtown Richmond. As many as 500 athletes from all over the world are expected to visit Richmond to compete.

"This is a great coup for Richmond," said Sports Backers executive director Jon Lugbill. "Richmond doesn't often have an opportunity to host a true world championship event. Having the event in 2007 just adds to the excitement. The region's celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent English settlement will give the European competitors even more reason to put this event on their schedules."

Richmond's unique and diverse urban course should serve as a major draw for foreign and U.S. competitors alike. Richmond's Tom Jeffrey, the reigning U.S. national Duathlon champion, is looking forward to showing off his hometown course.

"The course is a beautiful, scenic route that will challenge the world's best duathletes," said Jeffrey, who won his national title on May 6 in Mason, Ohio. "I'm really excited to have the opportunity to compete for a world championship in my hometown."

The Sports Backers have already begun actively promoting the 2007 event to the world's top duathletes. Event director Tracey Russell, who also organizes the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K and SunTrust Richmond Marathon, will attend the 2006 Duathlon Long Course World Championships on May 28 in Fredericia, Denmark.

"Our goal is to host the best World Duathlon Championships ever," said Russell, who was named Race Director of the Year by Road Race Management last October for her stewardship of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K. "I'm looking forward to talking with the top duathletes in the world to learn what we can do to make the Richmond event extraordinary."

It is the success of events such as the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K and SunTrust Richmond Marathon and the track record of the Sports Backers that led to Richmond winning the bid to host the event. The Sports Backers were recently named "Best Sports Commission in America" by the National Association of Sports Commission, the type of award that speaks volumes when it comes to bidding on events.

"The Sports Backers have a well-known history of hosting first- class events," said Jeff Dyrek, national events director for USA Triathlon, the governing body for duathlon in this country. "Events like the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K and SunTrust Richmond Marathon are considered among the best organized in the country by the people in our industry. That type of experience was crucial for the International Triathlon Union to award the event to Richmond."

"The ITU is extremely excited to have Richmond host the 2007 Long Course Duathlon Championships," said ITU Executive Director Loreen Barnett. "These athletes will come from all over the world and I'm sure Tracey and the Richmond organizing group will do a stellar job hosting them."

Sports Backers is a 501(c) (3) charitable non-profit organization founded in October 1991 to build a more vibrant community through sports. The mission of the organization is to maximize the community benefits of sports tourism in the region by:

* Creating, attracting and improving significant sporting events,
* Serving as a resource in the development and utilization of sports facilities and
* Aiding area youth through sports outreach programs.
* These activities and programs strengthen the economy, provide health benefits to participants and make the region a more desirable place to live.

The bid to land the event was assisted by the following: Former Governor Mark Warner, Greater Richmond Partnership, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, The Martin Agency, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Richmond International Airport, Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Richmond Region 2007, Retail Merchants Association, Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, Richmond Road Runners Club, Richmond Triathlon Club, CBS6 and Cox Radio.

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon, and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 1,800 races and connects with more than 60,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world.

The International Triathlon Union is the world governing body for the Olympic Programme sport of Triathlon and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). The ITU is also the world governing body for all related multi-sports such as Duathlon, Aquathlon, Winter Triathlon and Long Distance Triathlon. The ITU has 112 affiliated national