COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Top triathletes from across the United States will converge on Omaha, Nebraska, on Aug. 13-14 for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, USA Triathlon's largest and longest running national championship event.
USA Triathlon's largest and longest running event will be held in Omaha next month. (Rich Cruse/crusephoto.com)
First held in 1983 and set to be contested for the first time in Omaha this August, the event features two national championship races for athletes ages 15 to 80-plus. The Olympic-Distance National Championships cover a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run course and will begin at 7:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 13. The Sprint National Championships begin at 7:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 14, in which athletes will complete a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Registration is still open for both events. Athletes must qualify for Olympic-Distance Nationals through the criteria outlined on USATriathlon.org. Sprint Nationals do not require qualification and athletes may register at Active.com.
The event will be held at Omaha's Levi Carter Park after a three-year stint in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event regularly welcomes more than 4,000 competitors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and the economic impact from the last three years in Milwaukee averaged more than $10 million. The size of the race field has more than tripled since 2010, and now Age Group Nationals is consistently among the top-five largest triathlons in the United States.
With national titles on the line, athletes will also compete for coveted spots on USA Triathlon's Team USA, which allows amateur athletes to represent the U.S. at select ITU World Championship events. The top 18 finishers (rolling down to 25th place) in each age group of the Olympic-Distance Nationals will automatically earn a spot for Team USA to compete at the 2017 ITU Age Group World Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In Sprint Nationals, athletes must finish in the top eight to secure a spot for the Sprint World Championships, which features a draft-legal bike leg.
A number of athletes competing in Omaha in August have already earned their opportunity to represent the U.S. and will compete at the 2016 ITU Age Group World Championships in Cozumel, Mexico, this September. Visit USATriathlon.org to learn more about the Team USA program for amateur athletes.
In addition to the race for national titles and world championships team berths, there is also a race option for beginner triathletes. A beginner wave will be held for the first time as part of Sprint Nationals, allowing 150 new triathletes to compete in a distinct wave. Learn more about this special opportunity open to first-time triathletes at USATriathlon.org.
The multisport weekend in Milwaukee will begin on Thursday, Aug. 11 with a banquet to honor the 2015 USA Triathlon Athletes of the Year and Multisport Award winners. Hosted by the Age Group Committee, the celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. CT at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. Registration information is available at Active.com.
The Omaha community is encouraged to come out and support the competitors and experience the excitement of multisport. Admission to the races is free to all spectators. Volunteer spots are also still available and those interested may register here.
For more information on Age Group Nationals, visit the Olympic-Distance Nationals and Sprint Nationals event pages.
| 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).
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