Former Boston Bruin, Zdeno Chara, wins Division at USA Triathlon Long Course Championship hosted by CLASH Endurance Daytona

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Dec 04, 2023, 10:10 ET

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daytona International Speedway, known as the World Center of racing and CLASH Endurance, provided more than 3,300 athletes, ranging in age from 7 to 84, a weekend full of fun and competition and played host to the USA Triathlon Long Course Multisport Championship. Finishing with times of 3:56:32 and 4:25:06 respectively, Javier Figueroa (Puerto Rico) and Caroline Kaplan (USA) have now earned a qualifying spot for World Triathlon Multisport Championships taking place in Townsville, Australia on August 15-25, 2024. Event weekend consisted of a total of ten different races including short and long-distance triathlons, duathlons for adults and kids, along with two new cycling concepts, 'Test Track' for non-competitive riders and Redline Relay, for age group cycling teams ready to utilize the famed NASCAR pits. Athletes and their support crews also had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the festival-style weekend as areas within the speedway were open to RVs and camping. Weather conditions proved nearly ideal for those that traveled in from more than 45 states and 25 countries with sunny skies and an average temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperatures were at 67 degrees and wetsuit legal within Lake Lloyd, the body of water located inside the iconic speedway venue.

To kick off the weekend, approximately 1,200 participants of all ages and abilities wore festive apparel and spread holiday cheer as they experienced the Friday night "Jingle Jog 5K" through Florida's largest holiday lights display with a finish at One Daytona. More than 80 youth ranging in age from 7-11 participated in the Kids Triathlon Saturday, testing their limits and experiencing the historic NASCAR speedway. One of two Olympians competing this weekend, Gold medalist swimmer & Florida native, Brooke Bennett completed the sprint triathlon within a relay, and was among the lifesaving water rescue team in Sunday's event. She celebrated her sprint race alongside two other successful females who were chosen by Morgan Stanley for their "Women without Limits" initiative demonstrating so many females that juggle athletic competition in addition to a career, motherhood and more.

Sunday's middle distance and USA Triathlon Long Course Championship saw nearly 1,000 athletes challenging themselves not only for bragging rights but also qualifying spots. Household names and those known within the sport as well as those of incredible inspiration lined up at the start today including:

Olympian and NHL Superstar known for his success as multi-year Captain of The Boston Bruins, Zdeno Chara solidified his ongoing endurance performance roster with a finish time of 5:03:45 and captured the first place spot, thus becoming USA Triathlon Long Course winner in the Clydesdale division. Chara raced in honor of The Hoyt Foundation.
Victoria Brumfield, CEO of USA Triathlon, the sport's governing body, completed a stellar swim/bike/run race today with a finish at 6:04:32.
Adaptive multisport, Trent Fielder was acutely paralyzed by a neuromuscular disease and told he had months to live back in 2020. Enduring years of intense therapy and hard work, Fielder raced today in support of wounded veterans and first responders and his non-profit called TriHOPE.
Chris Nikic, the first athlete with Down Syndrome to complete an IRONMAN Triathlon in 2020, participated in the non-competitive Test Track event with friends/family yesterday.

Complete results for the USA Triathlon Long Course Championship and CLASH Endurance Event can be found at clashendurance.com under Results.

CLASH Endurance® is an innovative sports media and event company led by athletes to provide exceptional race experiences at iconic speedways across the U.S. We embrace inclusion and welcome athletes of all ages and abilities, from elite professionals to first-time participants. CLASH Endurance had four events in 2022 and continues to expand across the sports of triathlon, mountain biking, road and trail running. The popular CLASH Endurance DAYTONA is held at the Daytona International Speedway®, home of "The Great American Race™®"—the Daytona 500 and is featured on NBC. In addition, CLASH Endurance Miami takes place each March and continues to draw a decorated pro field and weekend warriors for a unique course at the Homestead-Miami Speedway®. More information around CLASH Endurance and its events can be found at www.clashendurance.com.

SOURCE CLASH Endurance