Australia's Greg Bennett and Portugal's Vanessa Fernandes Win in Professional Division at 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon; Each Claims $60,000 of Overall $250,000 Purse
Event Marks First Race in $1.5 Million 2007 Triathlon Series; Bennett Sets New Course Record, Collects Additional 2006 Series Bonus of $60,000; More Than 3,200 Participants From 40 States and 10 Countries Make Up Field; New Charity Challenge Event Yields $50,000
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:LTM), a national operator of distinctive and large health and fitness centers, today announced that Portuguese triathlete Vanessa Fernandes and Australian triathlete Greg Bennett won in their respective Professional Divisions at the 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon, presented by Toyota, today in Minneapolis.
Fernandes competed against a stellar field of world elite professionals on the event's Olympic-distance course and won the first place women's division prize of $60,000.
In the men's division, Bennett set a new course record to take home the first place prize of $60,000. Bennett also collected a separate $60,000 bonus for his performance across the 2006 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series. Today's event served not only as the finale to the 2006 Series, but also the first of five races comprising the $1.5 million 2007 Series.
A total of $250,000 was awarded to the top 10 professional women and men competing in the event. Complete results are available at www.ltftriathlon.com/results. Unofficial Professional Division results from today's race are as follows:
MEN
---------------------------------
2007
Triathlon
Unofficial Cash Series
Pro Triathlete Time Prize Points
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
1. Greg Bennett (AUS) 1:48:49.9(a) $60,000 15,000
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2. Bruno Pais (POR) 1:49:13.5 $25,000 9,000
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3. Craig Alexander (AUS) 1:49:24.9 $15,000 5,700
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
4. Hunter Kemper (USA) 1:49:51.2 $7,000 3,900
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
5. Rasmus Henning (DEN) 1:50:02.0 $6,000 3,450
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
6. David Thompson (USA) 1:50:14.5 $4,000 2,850
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
7. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 1:51:24.2 $3,000 2,550
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
8. Stephen Hackett (AUS) 1:51:54.8 $2,500 2,250
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
9. TJ Tollakson (USA) 1:53:32.2 $1,500 2,100
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
10. Filip Ospaly (CZE) 1:54:26.2 $1,000 1,950
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
11. Matt Reed (USA) 1:56:28.1 -- --
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
12. Leon Griffin (AUS) 1:57:06.8 -- --
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
13. Greg Remaly (USA) 1:57:29.8 -- --
--------------------------------- ------------ -------- -----------
(a) New course record
WOMEN
-------------------------------
2007
Triathlon
Unofficial Cash Series
Pro Triathlete Time Prize Points
------------------------------- -------------- --------- -----------
1. Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 2:00:31.0 $60,000 15,000
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2. Emma Snowsill (AUS) 2:01:10.1 $25,000 9,000
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3. Julie Dibens (GBR) 2:02:13.8 $15,000 5,700
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4. Becky Lavelle (USA) 2:03:46.9 $7,000 3,900
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5. Pip Taylor (AUS) 2:04:06.8 $6,000 3,450
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6. Laura Bennett (AUS) 2:05:05.7 $4,000 2,850
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7. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 2:05:24.2 $3,000 2,550
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8. Samantha McGlone (CAN) 2:05:44.0 $2,500 2,250
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9. Rina Hill (AUS) 2:06:08.3 $1,500 2,100
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10. Margaret Shapiro (USA) 2:06:26.4 $1,000 1,950
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11. Emily Deppe (USA) 2:11:35.1 -- --
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About the 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series
Following today's opening event, the 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series moves on to the Nautica New York City Triathlon on July 22.
New to the Series in 2007 is a point system for the Female and Male Professional Divisions. Based upon professional athlete starts and finishes at each of the Series events, points will be awarded and used to determine the top three female and male athletes who will be eligible for the Series Bonus. Athletes must start each of the Series races to be eligible. Overall, the Series offers nearly $1.5 million in cash prizes.
The 2007 Series schedule is as follows:
-- Event 1: Life Time Fitness Triathlon (Minneapolis) - July 14
-- Event 2: Nautica New York City Triathlon - July 22
-- Event 3: Accenture Chicago Triathlon - August 26
-- Event 4: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon - September 9
-- 2007 Series Championship: Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon (Dallas)
- October 14
Greg Bennett Collects $60,000 2006 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Championship Bonus Award
In addition to kicking off the 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series, today's event also served as the Championship race for the 2006 Series. Heading into the event, professional triathletes Craig Alexander (AUS), Greg Bennett (AUS), Samantha McGlone (CAN) and Emma Snowsill (AUS) were in the running for a share of a possible $120,000 2006 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series bonus purse based upon their participation in and overall race results at each of the inaugural Series events last year.
Based on today's result, Bennett took home a 2006 Series Bonus Award of $60,000 in addition to his 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon winnings.
Gear West Bike & Triathlon Takes Home $50,000 for Charity in Life Time Fitness Corporate Charity Challenge Division
Within the Corporate Charity Challenge, a new division of the 2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon established to encourage corporate team participation and charitable support, a team from Long Lake, Minn.-based Gear West Bike & Triathlon achieved the best overall relay time of 1:58:22.0.
Other participants in this year's Corporate Charity Challenge included Accenture, Cargill Power & Gas Markets, Golf Galaxy, Faegre & Benson LLP, Famous Dave's of America, Inc., IWCO Direct, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Vikings, OCI Companies, Park Nicollet Health Services, Team Ortho, and Life Time Fitness.
100 percent of each team's $3,000 event entry fee will be donated to their designated charity via the Life Time Fitness Foundation. Additionally, Bahram Akradi, Life Time Fitness Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, committed an additional donation of $50,000 to the charity designated by the team with the overall best Corporate Charity Challenge race finish time.
Gear West designated the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders to receive their $3,000 entry fee and the $50,000 Corporate Charity Challenge prize.
Corporate Charity Challenge participants competed as a relay team on the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Olympic-distance course.
Field Made Up of More Than 3,200 Athletes from 40 States and 10 Countries
In addition to 30 professionals, more than 3,200 amateur athletes from 40 states participated in the event. Among them were:
-- Tom O'Conner, 47. A blind triathlete, O'Conner is originally
from Brooklyn, New York. He has completed four New York City
Marathons. This was his first Life Time Fitness Triathlon.
-- Mary Stroebe, 89. The oldest competitor in field, Stroebe
began participating in triathlons at age 76. Following a
downhill skiing accident at age 88, she competes with a
titanium rod in one of her legs. This was Stroebe's fifth Life
Time Fitness Triathlon.
-- Frank Farrar, 78. The oldest male competitor in the field,
Farrar is a former South Dakota Governor. He also has competed
in 30 Ironman events and, following today's Life Time Fitness
Triathlon, will compete in another triathlon on Sunday. This
was Frank's third Life Time Fitness Triathlon.
-- The Scheeman family, ages 15-52. A whopping 30 members of this
St. Paul, Minn., family competed in the Life Time Fitness
Triathlon.
Racecourse Distances
Individual professional, elite and amateur athletes, and relay teams competed on a stunning, urban Olympic-distance course through Minneapolis and St. Paul (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run). A short course also was available to amateur individuals and relay teams (.4-mile swim, 15-mile bike, and 3-mile run).
2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor: Toyota with Hybrid Synergy Drive
Other Sponsors: Accenture Life Fitness active.com Orbea Shimano Ameriprise Financial Pioneer Cub Foods Polar Edge Advanced Powerade Gear West Bike & Triathlon Triathlete Magazine Hormel Natural Choices TYR Jennie-O
2007 Life Time Fitness Triathlon VNR Details
A satellite hook-up will be available, offering event highlights, interviews with event winners, and several unique human interest stories, as follows:
WHEN: Saturday, July 14, 2007
4:30 p.m. EDT and 6:30 p.m. EDT
COORDINATES: Galaxy 11
Transponder 20/KU Band
Downlink Frequency 12100 Vertical/ Audio
TROUBLE LINE: 612-330-2771
About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:LTM) operates distinctive and large sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation and resort/spa centers. As of July 14, 2007 the Company operates 65 centers in 15 states, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The Company also operates a satellite facility and four preview locations in existing and new markets.
Additionally, Life Time Fitness provides consumers with personal training consultation, full-service spas and cafes, corporate wellness programs, health and nutrition education, the healthy lifestyle magazine - Experience Life, athletic events, and nutritional products and supplements. Life Time Fitness is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota (www.lifetimefitness.com). LIFE TIME FITNESS, the LIFE TIME FITNESS logo, and EXPERIENCE LIFE are registered trademarks of Life Time Fitness, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Source: Life Time Fitness, Inc.
Released July 14, 2007