Des Moines Turns Out For Spectacular Triathalon!
At the bottom of the jumbotron: “Live from Des Moines, IA.” Around the state capital grounds tens of thousands new and veteran fans of the sport of triathalon felt the excitement.
On Sunday, Des Moines pulled out all the stops and had its day in the sun—literally—with undoubtedly the most international event ever for our city streaming into households in more than 100 countries around the world for the Hy-Vee World Cup Triathalon.
The event's success seems centered around four factors:
Amazing Athletes!!! So what do triathalon winners look like? They look like people from all around the world, including Austrailia, Canada, Great Britain, China, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Slovakia, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Spain.
Both amateurs and elites look like every triathlete on the course, swimming, biking, and running with unparalled endurance and steeled determination. They all ran like heroes, with Rasmus Henning of Denmark and Laura Bennett of USA crossing the finish lines first to win their elite divisions.
World Class Staging!!! There is only one World Cup Triathalon taking place in the USA, and Des Moines nailed it! With remarkable collaboration, our community gave up the streets for the athletes, organizers and fans. It seems organizers thought of everything that put the athletes first. Their tireless planning, plus the time commitment of 1,100+ volunteers and workers produced an event that sent Des Moines’s stock soaring.
Raving Fans!!! Organizers positioned the spectators to be a vital part of the experience. Thick crowds showed early Sunday for the amateur division, extending roaring support for their friends and families. Hearts swelled with admiration for the athletes reaching down for strength while battling fierce heat and winds. Cheers and applause were deafening in front of the State Capital where the athletes passed through multiple times on bike and feet, and ultimately finished. 
Knock-Out Media Coverage!!! Keeping the public in mind long before race day, local communities received comprehensive triatholon information in advance in stores, newspapers, radio, and TV. Crowds on hand Sunday enjoyed the full slate of coverage with great relay of video and commentary at the start at Gray’s Lake, along the biking and running course, and at the finish. The result: perfect strangers along the course chatting and passing along updates through the crowd about what was taking place.
Thank you and Congratulations to the athletes, organizers, fans, Hy-Vee, Des Moines, and Iowans for making the World Cup Triathalon a stellar success locally, nationally, and around the globe!
Photos by Ankeny Photo on Flickr. Used with permission.
Fun and interesting write of the Des Moines Tri. It's good to see the world is discovering the great Midwest in lieu of NY, Ldn and Paris.
Posted by: samsart | June 18, 2007 at 12:13 PM