Iron Girl announced, Wednesday, that it will hold a women’s triathlon in Lake Zurich’s Paulus Park.
The triathlon will be held June 16 and will consist of a one-third mile swim, 14-mile bike and three-mile run.
There were numerous qualities that attracted Iron Girl to Lake Zurich.
“The park is so beautiful and to have that beautiful lake. When you’re looking for a triathlon, it’s important to find a body of water you can swim in,” said Judy Molnar, vice president of Iron Girl in an interview with Lake Zurich Patch.
Lake Zurich is close to Chicago, yet the hotels in the area are more affordable than in the city, Molnar noted.
The fact that Lake Zurich already hosts an annual event, the Lake Zurich Triathlon, also made the village more attractive to Iron Girl. She said the events will support each other.
Molnar said the event will give Chicagoans an opportunity to get out of the city and see how pretty Lake Zurich is.
The event is expected to attract people from a five-state area. Iron Girl expects about 400-600 participants in the first year.
In just four years, an Iron Girl event held in Syracuse, NY, has grown from 450 to 1500 participants, Molnar said.
“It draws people from out of town and they are dining and shopping. It puts an imprint on a community in terms of wellness and what a woman can do,” she said.
“I am thrilled that Iron Girl has selected Lake Zurich, Illinois for their June race,” said Terasa Lewis, sales manager of Visit Lake County in a news release. “This event will bring many women and their families from across the country to our area. With all these visitors, Lake County businesses should see a huge economic impact for their communities.”
The only other all girl triathlons in the area are in Kenosha, WI, and Naperville.
Molnar described the all-girl event as a very supportive environment.
“It’s an easier entry into the sport; it takes away some of the intimidation and the barriers. Women create a supportive environment instantly,” Molnar said.
Iron Girl participants have an average age of 38 and 50 percent of participants are newcomers to the sport, she said.
The event offers unique event amenities such as post-race full catered breakfast café (featuring linen-covered tables and flower center pieces), custom finisher medals, jewelry awards, personalized race bibs (featuring each participant’s first name), performance shirts sized for women, post-race giveaways and much more.
“This is an exciting new venue for Iron Girl and we look forward to being part of the community,” said Judy Molnar, vice president of Iron Girl. “We know the importance of health and wellness and this event will help women by supporting their active lifestyles while offering a new challenge through triathlon. Whether your first event or 100th, there is a place for all women at Iron Girl.”
For more information on Athleta Iron Girl Lake Zurich Women’s Triathlon, visit www.irongirl.com. For questions about the event, please contact lakezurich@irongirl.com.
