Lane County to Host New Triathlon

Lane County will be home to a new endurance sports event set for this summer in the Fern Ridge area. Pacific Sports LLC, a premier event production and sports marketing firm based in Anaheim, California, has announced that Triathlon Eugene the Oregon Challenge will be held Sunday, August 28, 2011.

The event will take athletes on a challenging tour showcasing Lane County. It will feature three different courses, offering participants of all ages and skill levels a dynamic multisport experience. All events will follow the traditional triathlon format of swim, bike, run.

"Eugene and the surrounding area offer some of the finest venues for the sport of triathlon in the United States," said Jack Caress, President & CEO of Pacific Sports LLC. "Fern Ridge Lake will provide a gorgeous start, finish and swim course for what will become a unique and desirable destination for triathletes both locally and around the country. The bike and run courses offer great beauty and the right amount of challenge for all abilities. The end of summer will be the perfect time to be in Oregon. We can't wait."

Triathlon Eugene will establish a premier event in Lane County; long-term, self-sustaining and strongly linked to the city and region. It will engage the local community in a sport promoting health, fitness, and camaraderie. It will also advocate philanthropy and social and environmental responsibility.

Triathlon Eugene will feature the Triangle Lake Long Course, Fern Ridge Short Course and the KIDSPORTS Youth & Family Course. The swim will take place in Fern Ridge Reservoir. The bike course will take riders west toward the coast on a scenic, undulating tour with the Triangle Lake Course climbing 1,022 feet before returning to Richardson Park for the final leg, the run. All run courses will utilize the park's internal roads and paths; the Long and Short courses will venture outside of the park on Clear Lake Road and return to finish inside the park.

Pacific Sports will continue to work closely with Travel Lane County, who has been actively involved in facilitating the coordination of logistics, including site tours, accommodations, and introductions to local businesses and organizations. Pacific Sports and Travel Lane County will also work together to garner sponsorships on national, regional and local levels.

USA Triathlon is among the national partners. Local partners include Paul's Bicycle Way of Life, Eclectic Edge Events, KIDSPORTS, Lane County Parks, Eugene Celebration and Travel Lane County.

Registration will open March 28. To find out more about Triathlon Eugene and Pacific Sports LLC, visit www.TriathlonEugene.com or www.PacificSportsLLC.com.

Pacific Sports LLC owned and produced the Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championships in 1996 in addition to producing 12 United States Championship races. Currently the firm operates the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon presented by Herbalife, Catalina Marathon (named the #1 Trail Marathon by Runner's World), Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, Newport Beach Triathlon (oldest triathlon in the United States, Long Beach Triathlon, Buffalo Run Half Marathon, Santa Catalina Triathlon, Amgen Tour of California's L'Etape du California, and the Cleveland Triathlon. Pacific Sports served as executive producer for the Dow Live Earth Run for Water that took place in 100 cities worldwide, including events directly produced by the firm in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

Travel Lane County is a private, nonprofit association dedicated to economic development through visitor spending. In 2009, visitors to Lane County generated more than $512 million in spending for Lane County's economy.