Musselman Goes Pro!

An ITU Pan American Cup is contested by professional triathletes only and carries with it a
$20,000 prize purse, split evenly between men and women for the top five finishers. “ITU” stands for International Triathlon Union, the international governing body for the sport of triathlon and the organization responsible for triathlon being added to the Olympic Programme in 2000. Pan American Cup participants earn world ranking points, which are then used to determine qualifiers for the Olympic Trials.

With the addition of this olympic-distance race in 2007, the Musselman will alter its schedule ofevents to make it possible for all amateur athletes to watch the Pan American Cup. The mini-Mussel sprint race will move to Saturday, July 14, and will conclude just before the start of the Pan American Cup. The Musselman half-iron will remain on Sunday, July 15, as will the
MusselKids race for children. ITU-style racing is vastly different from traditional amateur triathlon. Athletes are allowed to draft one another during the bike leg, and race courses typically consist of multiple loops to allow spectators the chance to see the athletes for a majority of the race. The Musselman ITU race will consist of 2 laps of swimming, 8 laps on the bike, and 5 laps on the run before finishing by the lake in Seneca Lake State Park. The post-race awards ceremony will take place during the Musselman pre-race dinner, affording all athletes the chance to recognize the victors.

Registration is now open for 2007 at the Musselman website. The race sold out in 2006 with
1,043 participants from 31 states and five provinces in Canada.

More information about the Musselman can be found at www.musselmantri.com.

More information on the ITU and Pan American Cup races, including video and photos, can be
found at www.triathlon.org.