2008-09-06 19:36:03 -

www.latriathlon.com - City of Los Angeles Triathlon Jan Fambro, 310-308-6770 jfambro@speedworksllc.com Twenty five hundred competitors led by 30 professional and 65 amateur elite triathletes will take to the waters and roadways around the City of Los Angeles for the 9th Annual Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon presented by Herbalife Sunday morning, September 7, 2008. Start time on Venice Beach is 6:45 a.m. for the pros; 6:55 a.m. for the elite amateurs and 7:00 a.m. for remainder of the field in waves of 150 competitors. The first male pro should cross the finish line downtown at LA LIVE Nokia Plaza at approximately 8:50 a.m. The remainder of the field will cross the finish line over several hours and the event culminates

with a 12 noon awards ceremony on the Plaza.

With competitors from 38 states, plus the District of Columbia, and 11 countries, the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon presented by Herbalife is living up to its designation as the "ultimate multi-sport destination." The event, which features a point-to-point course starting with a 0.9 mile swim in the waters off Venice Beach, cycling 24.8 miles from the beach to downtown Los Angeles, and running 6.2 miles in downtown, has also been recognized as the "top Olympic distance triathlon to include on a racing calendar."

Defending champion Aussie Greg Bennett returns not only to defend his 2006 and 2007 LA Tri titles, but also his Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race for the Toyota Cup title. Last year, Bennett made history by winning all five events - Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas - in the Series and took home nearly $500,000 in prize money. Bennett is leading the 2008 Series points race with 21,700 points followed closely by Great Britain's Stuart Hayes with 19,900. The winner in Los Angeles earns 10,000 points and $10,000. Challenging Bennett and Hayes for an LA Tri top spot is 2004 U.S. Olympian and 2008 Olympic alternate Andy Potts.

The women's field is led by 2003 Los Angeles Triathlon champion Becky Lavelle (USA), who was an alternate on the 2008 Olympic team. Lavelle enjoys a comfortable, almost untouchable, lead in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race for the Toyota Cup with 21,700 points. Her nearest competitor in the Series is Brit Jodie Swallow, a first-time LA competitor, with 8,700 points. Lavelle will be challenged on the LA course by 2008 Olympian Julie Swail Ertel of Irvine. Swail Ertel is a two-time Olympian, having won silver in Sydney with the U.S. women's water polo team.

Street Closures

More than 25 miles of street closures from Venice Beach to downtown L.A. begin at 6:00 A.M. on Sunday morning. Maps and street closure information can be found at

-- LA Department of Transportation: trafficinfo.lacity.org/index.html or (323) 224-6534

-- Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon: www.latriathlon.com/maps.html

¶ Olympic Distance Swim-Cycle-Run Course Stretches from Venice Beach
to Downtown LA