5430 to be Boulder 70.3
World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman Triathlon and Ironman 70.3 brands, purchased 5430 Sports today.
The 5430 Sports series consists of triathlons contested during 4 event weekends, as well as three running events held on three additional weekends. The flagship events are the Boulder Peak Triathlon and the 5430 Long Course event, held at the 70.3 distance.
In a short statement sent via email, the company's founders and owners, Barry and Jodee Siff, wrote that, "Very little, if anything, will change or be noticed this year," and wrote of, "Boulder 70.3 in 2010!" The logical inference is that the balance of the events for 2009 will remain as they are, shall not be Ironman branded, and that any such new branding will commence in the 2010 year and thereafter.
This is the second Boulder-based acquisition WTC has made this year. It purchased North American Sports in January. This acquisition makes some sense, as it allows its Boulder-based operations office to produce events without the need to travel; and it gives Ironman an established and well-respected race over its 70.3 distance.
It is not known as of this writing whether Ironman intends to keep and produce all the triathlons and footraces 5430 had in its event portfolio.
This also, perhaps significantly, gives Ironman its first Olympic distance race, the popular Boulder Peak Triathlon.
