IRONMAN VR Team Challenge Enters Week 2 on IRONMAN Now Facebook Watch Page with Teams Taking on Half-Distance Triathlon Simulation

March 24, 2021

- Team Morgon Latimore leads after the first week of competition in the North America portion of the IRONMAN VR Team Challenge; Team Ryan Kinder and Team Shannon Spake tied for second place - Lindsey Corbin to join in the competition offering teams opportunity to bolster their swim scoring with Pro Wild Card Lifeline - North America Week 2 taking place on Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT)

IRONMAN VR Team Challenge

• North America IRONMAN VR Team Challenge Week 2 taking place on Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT) with three teams from North America facing-off in a Half-Distance virtual triathlon.
• Professional triathlete Lindsay Corbin will join this week’s competition providing the teams an opportunity to bolster their swim scoring with Pro Wild Card Lifelines
• IRONMAN VR Team Challenge can be viewed on the IRONMAN Now on Facebook Watch page by visiting www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow.
• ICYMI: If you couldn’t tune in last Thursday to join in the kick-off of the IRONMAN Team Challenge on Facebook Watch, Week 1 of the North America’s IRONMAN VR Team Challenge Recap can be found HERE
• Three regional team captains and their respective age-group teammates will compete in their own three-week-long competition cycles covering Sprint, Olympic and Half-Distance virtual triathlons.
• Each teammate will be tasked with competing in either the swim, bike or run segments to help build a total score for the team captains.
• IRONMAN VR Team Challenge competition will continue over the course of the next three months to feature teams from EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) and Asia Pacific.
• The region’s team captain with the most cumulative points at the end of the three-week-long competition will receive a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice from the IRONMAN Foundation Your Journey, Your Cause fundraising campaign.

Team North American Team Captains

Entering week two of the competition, North America Team Captains are singer and songwriter Ryan Kinder, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and IRONMAN U Certified Coach Morgon Latimore and veteran sportscaster Shannon Spake. These captains are tasked with forming a trio of athletes to join them each week for the competition scoring. This week’s athletes include:

Week 2 Teams

Team Ryan Kinder – Fundraising for Kinder’s Kids Foundation

• A Nashville based singer, songwriter and country music star, Ryan is also a proud IRONMAN finisher completing IRONMAN Florida in 2019. Along with his wife, Heather Kinder who was Mrs. Tennessee in 2019, the Kinder’s serve as IRONMAN Foundation Rock This Town Ambassador. Learn more about Ryan and his music here.
• Katie Colville
  • A resident of Decatur, Ga., Katie is a four-time IRONMAN World Championship qualifier and a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach. Receiving her degree in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Georgia, she has a 10-year background in strength coaching and believes strength training is just as important as the swimming, biking, and running components of a triathlon.
• Sam Hinga
  • Kenyan born Sam Hinga relocated to the U.S. to attend college prior to becoming a U.S. Citizen. After six years of service in the U.S. Army and five deployments, he is currently in helicopter flight training at Fort Rucker in Dale County, Alabama. Sam is an avid traveler, runner and cyclist.
• Adam Zucco
  • Founder and Head Coach at Superfly Coaching, Adam is a nine-time IRONMAN World Championship finisher. Adam coached the likes of Ben Kanute to the Rio Olympics and has helped dozens of athletes qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship.

Team Morgon Latimore – Fundraising for Tri-Masters Sports Initiative

• Morgon is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, motivational speaker, IRONMAN U Certified Coach and multi-time IRONMAN finisher. Morgon has experienced a lot in life and through sport has been able to use these experiences to help others and give back to the triathlon community that he loves. Learn more about Morgon here.
• Lothar Birkenfeld
  • Also returning for second straight week, Lothar is no stranger to the IRONMAN brand, Birkenfeld has competed in multiple IRONMAN branded events. Residing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Birkenfeld is excited to be a part of Team Morgon Latimore and take on the run portion of North America round two in the IRONMAN VR Team Challenge.
• Heather Fisher
  • Returning for a second week to take on the swim, this resident of Rock Hill, S.C. is a Curriculum Development Manager for a National Early Childhood Company. She is in love with the sport of triathlon and believes it is not only about staying healthy but also the relationships with the people she has met on this journey.
• Alyson Watson
  • Returning to take on the bike, Alyson is the CEO of an engineering consulting firm in Pacifica, Calif. that focuses on water and the environment. Triathlon has changed her life in so many ways. Alyson is grateful, humbled, honored, and super excited to race for the first time in well over a year.

Team Shannon Spake – Fundraising for the IRONMAN Foundation

• Shannon is a veteran sportscaster, multi-time IRONMAN 70.3 finisher, and IRONMAN Foundation Ambassador. Shannon juggles a busy career in sports broadcasting with a full family life, while also finding time to pursue her passion for triathlon. Learn more about Shannon here.
• Alan Gustafson
  • Alan is a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief who has worked for Jeff Gordon from 2011 until 2015. He is currently employed at Hendrick Motorsports as the crew chief for Chase Elliott where he won the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Residing in Davidson, N.C., with his wife and two kids, Alan spends his spare time cycling and mountain biking to maintain his fitness.
• Sarah Hart
  • A resident of Charlotte, N.C., Sarah began swimming competitively at the age of six. A collegiate swimmer at UNC Chapel Hill and a U.S. National Champion who has been ranked in the Top 16 in the World in sprint freestyle events. As a young mom, Sarah has qualified for the Boston Marathon and completed a full-distance IRONMAN in 2013. She now develops programs which focus on creating a healthy balance in our everyday lives.
• Jamie McMurray
  • Affectionately known as Jamie Mac, this former professional stock car racer joined Fox NASCAR as an analyst following a 17-year NASCAR Cup Series career that saw wins at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. Outside of the car, Jamie focuses on fitness and nutrition and competes in grueling endurance events both running and cycling.

Weekly Schedule

Thursday, March 25

• 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT) – North America Week 2: Half-Distance

Thursday, April 1

• 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT) – North America Week 3: Olympic Distance Plus IRONMAN VC one-year anniversary celebration.

Wednesday, April 7

• 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT) – IRONMAN VR Team Challenge Preview show and Introduction of Team Captains from EMEA

Thursday, April 8

• 7:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. GMT) – EMEA Week 1: Olympic Distance

North America Week 1 Recap:

Athlete Performance:

• Combined Swim Times:
  • Team Latimore: 23:09
  • Team Kinder: 28:53
  • Team Spake: 31:49
• Combined Bike Times:
  • Team Latimore: 1:00:17
  • Team Kinder: 1:00:28
  • Team Spake: 1:17:50
• Combined Run Times:
  • Team Latimore: 39:10
  • Team Spake: 49:14
  • Team Kinder: 51:59
• Athletic Total:
  • Team Latimore: 2:02:47 (50 points)
  • Team Kinder: 2:21:09 (40 points)
  • Team Spake: 2:38:53 (30 points)

Social Media and Engagement:

• Team Latimore: 25 points
• Team Spake: 20 points
• Team Kinder: 15 points

In-Broadcast Challenges:

• Team Latimore: 25 points
• Team Spake: 20 points
• Team Kinder: 15 points

Overall Standings After Week 1:

• Team Latimore: 100 points
• Team Kinder: 70 points
• Team Spake: 70 points

Rules and Processes

• Each region will compete in its own three-week-long competition that consists of Sprint, Olympic and Half-Distance virtual triathlon simulations.
• Three team captains and their chosen team members will compete simultaneously against each other in their respective swim, bike, and run segments.
• Scoring is not only based on athletic performance; however, with the live audiences’ help, points will also be awarded for social media engagement and In-Broadcast Challenges.

Scoring Categories:  

• Athletic Performance: Each week, team captains and their team members will test their endurance by competing in each of the respective disciplines of the Sprint, Olympic, or Half-Distance virtual triathlons. The scores for their swim, bike, and run segments for each distance are cumulative and combined with their selected team members’ swim, bike, and run times.
• Social Media and Engagement: During the three-week-long competition, team captains will be given social media challenges; following each engagement, viewers will get the opportunity to vote on their favorite post, awarding the winning team with more points.
• In-Broadcast Challenges: Throughout each region’s three-week-long competition, In-Broadcast Challenges will require athletes to think on their feet to show off their triathlon knowledge, helping them to earn more points and move them up on the team leader board.

IRONMAN VR All-Terrain Series

Coinciding with the IRONMAN VR Team Challenge, the IRONMAN VR All-Terrain Series consist of six months of training-length challenges and virtual races that will take athletes on a tour of the best IRONMAN locales. Each month will focus on a different terrain – expect to virtually visit race destinations in different regions within each terrain. Offering three weekday workouts plus one weekend VR race, the IRONMAN VR All-Terrain Series will also consist of multiple month-long challenges. These month-long challenges allow athletes to chase a certain number of kilometers for the month in whatever sport they like and on their own time. March’s theme is Flat and Fast and will offer a Sprint, Olympic, Sprint, and half-distance as well as a 150km, 300km, and 500km month-long challenges. For more information of this month’s challenges visit here.

IRONMAN Foundation

Team captains will set up IRONMAN Foundation Your Journey, Your Cause fundraising campaigns where they will be able to collect donations for a charity and cause that is important to them. The winning team from each regional showcase will receive a $5,000 donation from the IRONMAN Foundation to further grow their Your Journey, Your Cause fundraising campaigns. To learn more about the IRONMAN Foundation and Your Journey, Your Cause visit here.

For additional details on the IRONMAN VC platform, visit www.ironmanvirtualclub.com/. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media related inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About IRONMAN Virtual Club

The IRONMAN^® Virtual Club™ (VC™) brings the global IRONMAN^® community together virtually week-after-week. Launching in April of 2020, the platform gives athletes from around the world access to IRONMAN U Certified Coach curated workouts, training resources, and challenges that prepare athletes to compete in the IRONMAN Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series. Athletes have the opportunity to train, compete, earn, and be rewarded as they set their goals towards a successful year of racing. In addition, through the Race Honorably campaign, IRONMAN’s goal is to provide an exceptional virtual racing experience with credible results that requires athletes to do their part by entering accurate data. Additional details about the IRONMAN VC platform can be found at www.ironmanvirtualclub.com/.

About the IRONMAN Foundation

The IRONMAN Foundation creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through giveback programs led by the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 9,500 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series participants are powerfully linked to the community and together help leave a positive legacy behind in race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including TEAM IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town^®, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series^®, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf^®, Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.