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YWC Sports and TeamChallenge are proud to present Challenge Copenhagen. On August 15th 2010 the Danish capital will host a truly unique triathlon experience for the first time. The location will be unparalleled to any iron-distance triathlon in the world and the first time in history a capital host a triathlon of this distance.

"We are extremely proud to include Copenhagen in our race calendar. This race will be truly amazing and we are not afraid to call it the most spectacular race course in the world," says Felix Walchshofer, CEO TeamChallenge. Pia Allerslev, Mayor of Culture and Leisure in Copenhagen adds: "We believe that Copenhagen with its historic attractions, the green and international profile, easy access via Copenhagen Airport and strong infrastructure is perfect for a full scale international triathlon event. The door to Copenhagen is open and we look forward to embrace and welcome athletes from all over the world!"

The beautiful scenery in and around Copenhagen will be setting for a stunning and fast race course. The artificial laguna of Amager Beach Park will host the 3,8 km swim. With bridges crossing the water and a shallow seaboard the location is perfect for both athletes and spectators. A flat bike course, closed for cars and all other traffic, runs through the center of Copenhagen to the scenic countryside of Sealand. When finishing the 180 km bike part the athletes will reenter central Copenhagen to do the final run.

The marathon will be a three-looped course on the Copenhagen waterfront. The athletes will be taken past Copenhagen's most amazing attractions such as the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg, home of the Queen of Denmark, the new stunning Opera and the old harbor of Nyhavn. The finish line in front of the Danish Parliament will be a stunning and unique finish for athletes, spectators and sponsors.

Challenge Copenhagen will attract professional and age group athletes from all over the world. With the Challenge signature on the event athletes and their supporters can be sure to experience a race of highest quality. Thomas Veje Olsen, Partner YWC Sports states: "Challenge is more than a race series - it is a feeling! Everybody in triathlon knows the fantastic spirit of the Quelle Challenge Roth. We believe its time to bring this amazing atmosphere and feeling to Copenhagen!"

Challenge Copenhagen has come to life because of a strong commitment from a variety of Danish organizations. Lars Lundov CEO at Sport Event Denmark, the Danish national sport events organisation, says: "It is our goal that Denmark becomes one of the significant sport event nations in the future and known for its high professional standards within all aspects of sports event management for the benefit of athletes, leaders and spectators. Challenge Copenhagen is one of the stepping stones."

15 months prior to Challenge Copenhagen the organizers can already present a field of strong international and Danish athletes. Challenge is one of the fastest growing triathlon concepts in the world and the race series attracts top professional athletes. The Danish triathlon superstar Torbjorn Sindballe and international world class athletes Belinda Granger and Chris McDonald, both from Australia have already announced their participation in the premier race in 2010.

Torbjorn Sindballe, 3rd in Hawaii Ironman 2007 and legendary brake away king on the bike says: "It has been a dream of mine to race in Copenhagen for a long time. It is a fantastic city and a fantastic venue for large triathlon events. We are going to race on some of my favourite training routes and I look forward to show this to the triathletes from all over the world as well as bringing the positive spirit and energy of triathlon in to the hearts of the people in Copenhagen."

The 2 times Challenge, 9 times Ironman winner and one of the strongest female triathletes in the world, Belinda Granger, is eager to take up this new race: "I am extremely excited and thrilled to be part of the new Challenge race in the heart of Copenhagen. I have never had the opportunity to visit Denmark and Copenhagen, but I have heard so many amazing stories about the city, its beauty and charm - it is going to be a surreal experience to actually race there. The course will basically be a sightseeing tour through Copenhagen."

Grounded in the history of the world famous Quelle Challenge Roth, Challenge are now offering high quality triathlon events in Germany, Spain, France and New Zealand. Challenge Roth has always had a special feeling for athletes around the world. Belinda Granger look forward to experience this in Copenhagen as well: "I am confident that the race will more than live up to the 'Challenge' name. Challenge races are special. They have a real family-feel to them, and I can already feel this when I speak to the organizers of Challenge Copenhagen. There is such passion and commitment for the sport and that is exactly what makes Challenge so special - what sets it apart from other races."

Challenge Copenhagen will be held for the first time on August 15th 2010 and will be an annual triathlon event in Copenhagen.

Two of triathlon's brightest stars will top the professional field for the eighth running of the Quelle Challenge Roth on July 12 in the triathlon-mad hamlet of Roth, Germany. Headlining top-flight fields in the men's and women's races will be Great Britain's Chrissie Wellington, the defending Ironman world champion and recent winner of Ironman Australia, and Germany's Normann Stadler, a two-time winner of the Ironman world title.

Stadler, who has also won an Ironman title at home at Ironman Germany in Frankfurt, will find himself up against a deep field that includes the Quelle Challenge Roth's top three from last year: defending champion Patrick Vernay of New Caledonia, second-place finisher Pete Jacobs of Australia and third-place finisher Torbjorn Sindballe of Denmark. Also toeing the line will be Belgium's Rutger Beke, third at the Ironman World Championships last year; Challenge Wanaka winner Chris McDonald of Australia; multiple Ironman winner Raynard Tissink of South Africa; Ironman Western Australia winner Tim Berkel and Estonia's Ain-Alar Juhanson, winner of Ironman Lanzarote.

The field also includes Australia's Justin Granger, Petr Vabrousek of the Czech Republic, Canada's Luke Dragstra and speedy firefighter Margus Tamm along with a strong German contingent including Michael Gohner, Steffen Liebetrau, Alexander Taubert, Kai Hundertmark, Olaf Sabatschus, Clemens Coenen, Bernd Eichhorn, Michi Hofmann, Dorian Wagner and the legendary Thomas Hellriegel.

The women's field is shaping up to be the strongest outside of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Wellington, whose relatively new Ironman career has gone from strength to strength, said she also will try to take a tilt at the world-best time, lowered to 8:45:48 in Roth last year by Yvonne van Vlerken of the Netherlands. But to stand atop the podium she'll first have to contend with a start list that includes last year's second-place finisher, Hungary's Erika Csomor, whose 8:47:05 also dipped under the old record set by Paula Newby-Fraser in Roth in 1994.

The field also includes two-time Challenge Wanaka winner Gina Ferguson, who recently also took out Ironman New Zealand; former Quelle Challenge Roth champion and multiple Ironman winner Belinda Granger; multiple Ironman New Zealand winner (and former Roth champion) Joanna Lawn of New Zealand; American Hillary Biscay; the UK's Leanda Cave; Australia's Charlotte Paul and Germany's Dagmar Matthes und Christine Waitz.

In all, some 2,500 individual competitors and 500 teams from 50 nations will start the classic event.

For more information, please visit the Quelle Challenge Roth website at www.challenge-roth.de.