Cologne, March 26th, 2009; The organiser of the Cologne Triathlon Weekend and the Cologne Triathletes will be celebrating a special Birthday in September this year – the first Cologne Triathlon was run 25 years ago.
Looking back, the success story of the Cologne Triathlon began spectacularly on September 15th and 16th, 1984 with the European Championships for Ultra and Long-Distance Triathlon at the Fühlinger Lake in the north of Cologne. Over the years, this event has developed into a premier endurance event with more than 2000 athletes.
How it all started
A review of the history of the Cologne Triathlons shows that the event series began in 1984 with the European Championships for the Iron-Distance (3,8km Swim, 180km Bike, 42,2km Run) and the Long-Distance (2,5km Swim, 110km Bike, 33km Run). Already back then well-known Triathlon stars such as Dirk Aschmoneit, Wolfgang Dittrich and Jürgen Zäck were among the starters. In 1985 the Deutschland Cup for “Ultra-Triathlon“ was held in Cologne.
In 1992 the staging of the German Championships for the Triathlon Short-Distance followed in which Germany’s Triathlon elite battled for the titel. Franziska Lilienfein, Ute Schäfer, Simone Mortier, Sonja Krolik, Thomas Hellriegel, Rainer Müller, Gerd Amrhein, Ralf Eggert and Holger Lorenz were just some of the athletes that competed for the places on the podium. Even the Triathlon legends Mark Allan and Julie Moss were among the starters of the Cologne Triathlon in 1990.
In 2005 Uwe Jeschke und Carsten Krause, from Jeschke & Friends Event Organisers took over the organisation and running of this endurance event. With fresh ideas and a new route concept into the Cologne city centre, this event has developed more and more to a premier event, that in addition to the Ironman competitions in Frankfurt und Wiesbaden, the Challenge competitions in Roth und Kraichgau and the Hamburger City Man, belongs to the largest Triathlons in Germany.
New Distances
Youth support is being added to the Cologne Triathlon Weekend program punctually for the 25th anniversary of the Cologne Triathlon. On Saturday, September 5th the CologneKids youth and student Triathlon with distances of 50 / 100 / 150m Swim, 1000 / 2000 / 3000m Bike und 400 / 800 / 1200m Run, in different age groups will take place.
On the same day both the CologneSmart-Distance and the Quadrathlon European Championship will take place. In both competitions the athletes will swim 700m followed by 24km cycling and a 7km run around the Fühlinger Lake. The Quadrathletes must complete an additional 4km kajaking prior to the run.
On Sunday September 6th 2009 is the start for the Cologne226half and Cologne226. While by Cologne226half a middle distance with 2,5km Swim, 90km Bike and 21km Run must be completed, the Cologne226 covers an Iron-Distance with 3,8km Swim, 180km Bike und 42,2km Run. The athletes from the Cologne226 extreme+ distance do a double start in two distances. They start the Cologne Triathlon Weekend on Saturday with the CologneSmart und compete on Sunday in the Cologne226.
The Finish on Sunday, as in the previous year, is on the left Rhein Promenade with a view of the Cologne Cathedral in front of the Buildings of the Landschaftsverbands Rheinland. The organisers are attempting once again to bring this prestigious endurance event into the centre of Cologne. The current negotiations with the City of Cologne are looking positive.
Additional information can be found at: www.colognetriathlonweekend.de/
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