USA Triathlon announced that the 2020 Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships will return to Long Beach, California in conjunction with the second annual Legacy Triathlon on July 18. The race will once again take place at Alamitos Beach, the proposed site of the triathlon competitions at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
With its launch of the Legacy Triathlon, USA Triathlon became the first National Governing Body in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family to bring a new annual event to the Los Angeles footprint ahead of the 2028 Games, giving participants the chance to be a part of Southern California’s rich Olympic history.
Paratriathlon Nationals will be held as part of an expanded Legacy Triathlon event weekend, which also includes an age-group sprint triathlon, an open water swim competition in partnership with USA Swimming and U.S. Masters Swimming, a PATCO Sprint Triathlon Panamerican Cup, a Splash & Dash youth aquathlon, a paratriathlon skills clinic and a host of other ancillary events.
For the second consecutive year, USA Triathlon, Toyota and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) will combine to offer a total professional prize purse of $36,750 for Paratriathlon Nationals podium finishers in each of six paratriathlon sport classes. Male and female national champions will receive $1,500 each, runners-up will receive $750, and third-place finishers will receive $375. Guides for athletes with visual impairments will also receive equivalent winnings.
Paratriathlon athletes will cover a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run. The course features several key improvements from 2019, including a pre-transition area located immediately at swim exit; a new run course on closed neighborhood streets; and adjustments to the bike course to eliminate several tight turns. All paratriathlon waves will start first, prior to the age-group waves, and paratriathletes will have a designated swim warm-up area on race day.
In addition, a paratriathlon swim familiarization will be offered on Friday, July 17, and the packet pick-up area will feature accessibility improvements.
“USA Triathlon is proud to recognize the incredible achievements of U.S. paratriathletes while continuing to lead the professionalization of paratriathlon worldwide,” said Amanda Duke Boulet, Paralympic Program Director at USA Triathlon. “We look forward to showcasing the sport in Long Beach once again next year, with an improved course that enables all paratriathlon competitors to race to their potential.”
“We continue to be in awe of the performance of these elite athletes,” said Dedra DeLilli, Group Manager, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “We’re thrilled to play a small role in helping to grow the sport of paratriathlon and are honored to support the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships by contributing to another professional prize purse. As a mobility company and partner of USA Triathlon, Toyota is cheering on all of these inspiring athletes as they compete for a national title.”
“When we created The Challenged Athletes Foundation 26 years ago, our goal was to provide the equipment, travel and coaching challenged athletes need to stay in the game of life through sport,” said Bob Babbitt, CAF Co-Founder and USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Inductee. “To be able to help fund prize money for our nation’s best paratriathletes at the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships is something we are very excited to support.”
Prize purse recipients must hold a current paratriathlete or elite paratriathlete USA Triathlon membership valid through July 18. In addition, they must be either a U.S. citizen or U.S. National able to immediately represent the United States at International Triathlon Union (ITU) competitions.
In addition to chasing national titles, athletes competing at the 2020 Toyota USA Triathlon Paratriathlon Nationals also have the opportunity to qualify for the USA Paratriathlon Development Team Program, designed to identify and develop athletic potential leading into the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. More information on the USA Paratriathlon Development Team Program is available by clicking here.
Athletes wishing to compete at the 2020 Toyota USA Paratriathlon Nationals must be officially classified in a paratriathlon sport class and must meet the qualification standards, which can be found at usatriathlon.org. Athletes who are not classified or who do not meet the qualification standards may choose to race in the PC Open Division, which does not require qualification. A National Classification opportunity will be offered in Long Beach prior to the event.
Complete details and registration information are available at thelegacytriathlon.com. To learn more about USA Paratriathlon and its grassroots and elite programming, visit usaparatriathlon.org.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit toyotanewsroom.com.
About the Challenged Athletes Foundation
The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles. CAF believes that participation in physical activity at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. Since 1994, more than $112 million has been raised and over 26,000 funding requests from people with physical challenges in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts impact another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear: give opportunities and support to those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles. To learn more, visit challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.
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