For some people, the cold winter cannot end soon enough.  But Winter Triathletes embrace the icy cold weather as a series of 2011 Winter Triathlon events is set to begin with the ITU Winter Triathlon European Cup in Lygna (Oslo), Norway this weekend.  A total of 20 athletes are on the start list, racing for the 3,000 EUR prize money plus ranking points.  Lygna was the host city of the ETU Winter Triathlon European Championships last year.

Five European Cups and two ITU World Cups are lined up on the calendar.  Also, Ostersund, Sweden will host the 2011 ETU Winter Triathlon European Championships on 19-20 March.  The series of events will conclude in Jamijarvi, Finland at the 2011 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships scheduled on 26-27 March.

Winter Triathlon is a multi-discipline winter sport composed of running, mountain biking and cross country skiing - all on snow.  Course distances are set on the day to achieve a winning time of around 80-90 minutes, after taking into account the geography and the snow conditions.

ITU has been long committed to the development of the Winter Triathlon.  Athletes will vie for a bonus pool of $10,000 USD at the end of the series.  For European athletes competing in European Cups, an additional 5,000 EUR bonus pool is up for grabs, which will be awarded at season’s end.

ITU would like to thank every person and organisation involved in the development of the Winter Triathlon.  With the new season about to start, new participants and National Federations are always welcome to join the series.

Click here to see a complete calendar for the 2011 Winter Triathlon season.