Nation's Best Run-Bike-Run Athletes to Compete in St. Paul in June

St. Paul, Minnesota, will host the fastest run-bike-run athletes in the United States on June 6 as they compete for national titles and world championship team spots at the USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships.

The event start, transition and finish will be centered at Harriet Island Regional Park with races set to begin at 7:30 a.m. CT. Two race distances will be featured in St. Paul, kicking off with the 5-kilometer run, 34.5-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run Standard Duathlon Nationals race. The second event, a sprint-distance 2.5k run, 23k bike, 2.5k run, will begin at 11:55 a.m. CT. Registration is currently open for both races at usatriathlon.org/du15, and no qualification is necessary.

The 2015 National Championship event marks the second straight year top duathletes have flocked to St. Paul to compete. In 2014, St. Paul welcomed nearly 600 duathletes, providing the city with an economic impact of nearly $1 million. Age-group athletes Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.) and Matthew Payne (Columbia Heights, Minn.) took home overall Duathlon Nationals titles in the standard event, while Patty Peoples-Resh (Redlands, Calif.) and Nathan Hoffman (South Haven, Minn.) claimed victory in the sprint event.

Duathlon Nationals competitors may qualify for the age-group 2016 Standard and Sprint ITU Duathlon World Championships. The world championship location will be announced soon by ITU. In the standard National Championship race, the top 18 finishers in each age-group, rolling down to 25th place, will qualify for Team USA. In the sprint race, at least the top eight finishers will qualify per age group. Additional spots may be available depending on the location of 2016 ITU Duathlon Worlds, which will determine whether a non-drafting sprint-distance race will be offered in addition to the draft-legal sprint. More information on the Sprint Duathlon Worlds qualification process is available at usatriathlon.org.

Team USA is comprised of the nation's top multisport athletes who represent the U.S. at each ITU World Championships event. Visit usatriathlon.org/teamusa for more on Team USA.

 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 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, 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 Committee (USOC).