The Cleveland Sports Commission, Cleveland Metroparks and city of Cleveland that the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship will be held in Cleveland in 2018 and 2019.
The event will be held here in 2018 and 2019 and is expected to draw 5,000 athletes, plus 10,000 spectators, generating $7 million in economic impact, according to the Sports Commission.
Venue will be The Metroparks’ Edgewater Park, site of the Wednesday press conference.
The 2018 event is scheduled for Aug. 11-12. The Olympic distance event will be Aug. 11 and features a 1,500 meter swim, a 40 kilometer bike and a 10 kilometer run. The Sprint distance event will be Aug. 12 and consists of a 750 meter swim, 20k bike and 5k run.
Athletes must qualify for the Olympic distance event and top finishers in each age group will qualify to represent Team USA the following year at the ITU Age Group World Championships. USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the sport. This year, the triathlon will be in Omaha for the second consecutive year.
Cleveland has a long history hosting national and international triathlon events. The Cleveland Triathlon hosted the 1996 ITU World Championships as the lead-up to triathlon becoming an Olympic event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The Cleveland Triathlon also hosted World Cups, as well as age-group and pro national championships.
