Oro Valley to Host USA Triathlon's Duathlon Nationals in One Month

Multisport athletes specializing in run-bike-run will return to Tucson/Oro Valley, Ariz., for the third consecutive year to compete in the 2013 USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships slated for Saturday, Oct. 26.

More than 600 athletes competed in last year's Duathlon National Championships. (David Sanders/USA Triathlon)

Race-day action is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. at Ventana Medical Systems with the Elite Duathlon National Championships, contested as a standard-distance 5-kilometer run, 35-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run. Age-group athletes will compete in both standard-distance and sprint-distance (2.5k run, 17k bike, 2.5k run) events, and paraduathletes will also race for national titles in the sprint-distance event. Visit usatriathlon.org for complete event details.

"For the past two years, USA Triathlon has had the pleasure of bringing athletes to Tucson and Oro Valley, and we anticipate another fantastic event again this year," said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon Chief Executive Officer. "With elites, age-groupers and paraduathletes in attendance, the event will feature the best duathlon talent in the country."

Gail Kattouf (Greenville, S.C.) and Patrick Parish (Bloomington, Minn.) claimed the overall standard-distance national titles a year ago, while Patty Peoples (Redlands, Calif.) and Greg McNeil (Los Altos, Calif.) were crowned sprint-distance national champions. In all, more than 600 age-group competitors took part in last year's event.

Duathlon Nationals is the sole qualifying event for the age-group 2014 Standard- and Sprint-Distance ITU Duathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, on May 31-June 1, 2014. The top 18 finishers in each age group, rolling down to 25th place, will qualify for Team USA.

Team USA is comprised of the nation's top multisport athletes who represent the U.S. at each ITU World Championships event. Visit usatriathlon.org for more on Team USA.

About USA Triathlon: Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon - the fastest growing sport in the U.S. Olympic Movement - as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with more than 550,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).