The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC), in partnership with the City of Cleveland and Cleveland Metroparks, announced April 12 that the Cleveland will host the 2018 and 2019 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.
USA Triathlon’s largest annual event will take place on Aug. 11-12, 2018 and Aug. 10-11, 2019 at Edgewater Park and the surrounding neighborhoods in Downtown Cleveland.
“We’re extremely excited that Cleveland was selected to host the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships for two years in a row,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “This is USA Triathlon’s Superbowl. What better place to showcase their event than the City of Cleveland, which has successfully hosted many Olympic sport National Governing Body championships. We have an incredible lake, beautiful all-purpose trails throughout Cleveland Metroparks and a community who will welcome these athletes and spectators with open arms.”
USA Triathlon’s event will feature approximately 5,000 athletes and another 10,000 spectators from across the United States. We expect that 4,500 of those athletes and 8,500 spectators will travel to the Greater-Cleveland area from outside of the region. This event is projected to generate $6.5 million in revenue per event year, providing a total economic impact of $13 million for Northeast Ohio.
“USA Triathlon will be proud to bring our nation’s most dedicated triathletes to Cleveland, a city with a rich sporting history and countless attractions,” said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO. “We are encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of the city, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Cleveland Metroparks, and we look forward to excellent championship events in 2018 and 2019.”
The USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships feature a Saturday Olympic-distance triathlon, for which athletes must qualify to compete. The race, which covers a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run, will qualify top athletes in each age group to represent Team USA at the International Triathlon Union Age Group World Championships. The World Championships will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2019, and Edmonton, Alberta, in 2020.
The championship race will be followed by a Sunday sprint triathlon that is open to public competitors. Sprint athletes will cover a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run along the shore of Lake Erie overlooking downtown Cleveland.
The course is set to include a swim portion at the beach of Edgewater Park. The remainder of the Olympic-distance route may showcase the neighborhoods of Detroit-Shoreway, Downtown Cleveland, St. Clair-Superior and University Circle. Specific race routes are still being finalized with the City of Cleveland and USA Triathlon.
