With only months remaining until December, fans and athletes alike have their eyes set on The PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA weekend Dec. 4th to 6th. The PTO 2020 Championship will be the first race of 2020 for many professional athletes, adding even more excitement and speculation for which athletes will make a podium finish. The PTO 2020 Championship will have a star-studded field including the top 40 male and female triathletes in the world.
Fans have remained steadfast in their support of professional athletes throughout 2020. Whether it has been watching pro athletes virtual racing such as Jan Frodeno completing triathlons on treadmills or Lucy Charles-Barclay in her pain cave, fans have rallied behind their favourite athletes, if limited to social media. This important relationship between pro athletes and age-group athletes will come to centre stage on December 6, 2020 as fans can watch all the live, start-to-finish action during the $1 million prize purse PTO 2020 Championship race at CHALLENGEDAYTONA.
Can triathlon elites Jan Frodeno and Daniela Ryf rubber-stamp their positions as the world’s best? Similarly, will Alistair Brownlee, Lionel Sanders and Sebastian Kienle provide the biggest threats to Frodeno’s dominance?
Given the race is at the iconic Daytona International Speedway®, will Americans Ben Hoffman and Tim O’Donnell in the men’s field and Heather Jackson and Skye Moench in the women’s field have home turf advantage to defend against international competitors? Many believe we may have a British invasion with top athletes Lucy Charles-Barclay and Holly Lawrence bringing thunder to the women’s field.
Talking about packing heat, we must not forget the Aussies and Germans! Will Anne Haug and Laura Philipp plant a German flag on top of the women’s podium, or will Aussies Sarah Crowley or Carrie Lester take the title back Down Under?
December 6, 2020 will provide the answers as triathlon fans around the world get an unprecedented opportunity to see this galaxy of stars in one place, competing for the title. Sanders for one cannot wait, sharing, “The PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA is exactly the sort of event we crave. Being able to test ourselves against the absolute best in our field and knowing that in the process we can take our sport to a wider audience.”
The event is the first major step in the PTO’s mission to put on display the tremendous talents of our professional triathletes. A blueprint which sees athletes and stakeholders working together to grow the sport. CEO Sam Renouf explained, “The sport of professional triathlon features incredible athletes doing incredible things. Our mission is to amplify that and take it to a wider audience, inspiring passionate participants and new fans alike.”
Further, Renouf adds, “We want to create events which become must-watch year in, year out, creating iconic moments at iconic venues. This is a unique partnership where we will work tirelessly for the athletes to make the sport of triathlon stronger and more visible. Any sport is stronger when the best meet the best on a regular basis. And the PTO 2020 Championship embodies that mantra. The finest triathletes on the planet doing battle for a purse which truly recognises the value and excitement they bring.”
The PTO 2020 Championship race has been made possible by the PTO working together with USA Triathlon and CHALLENGENORTHAMERICA. It is a collaborative approach which PTO Executive Chairman Charles Adamo says is vital if the sport is to grow and thrive. “The creation of the PTO by professional triathletes has given a them platform to partner with the triathlon community and work to see the sport we all love so much grow and thrive,” Adamo said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard in all walks of life, and the PTO and our PTO Professionals are keen to do everything we can to support our sport. Triathlon may be suffering, but we are not defeated. At the PTO 2020 Championship, PTO Professionals will put on display the fortitude and spirit for which our sport is so famous, and we hope it will be a time for the world of triathlon to unite to celebrate its resolve and resilience” said Adamo.
Bill Christy, CEO CHALLENGENORTHAMERICA shares, “We are thrilled to bring the PTO 2020 Championship to the United States at CHALLENGEDAYTONA, a country and venue that is a mecca for history making sports. Progress as a sport is forged in the heat of competition and we look forward to seeing what the best athletes in the world can accomplish on what will be a truly global stage with televised and live streamed entertainment for viewers to enjoy. Fans are hungry for live sports; our real time coverage will immerse fans into the fierce battles and epic finishes by these amazing athletes.”
