LA JOLLA, Calif. - May 29, 2002 - Putting its entire registration process online, Ironman New Zealand has debuted Active.com's online registration for its 2003 Ironman Triathlon in Taupo, New Zealand. Consistently attracting one of the largest fields of international competitors, Ironman New Zealand established a 1,200 cut-off for 2003 entries and will rely on Active.com's services to handle registration volume efficiently and effectively.
Participants can register online for the March 1, 2003 event at www.ironman.co.nz. Since the change of race venue from Auckland to the tourist destination of Taupo, Ironman New Zealand has increased competitor numbers in each of the previous four years.
"We have trialed our own online system to determine the level of use and now more than half of our entries are online. However, we needed a more comprehensive online system to meet the needs of competitors," explained Jane Patterson, event director, Ironman New Zealand. ``We are delighted to have developed an association with Active.com to handle our online registration. The company handles a number of Ironman races in the United States and Canada, along with a large number of other high-profile international sports events."
Active.com brings a solid track record supporting all Ironman events in North America and several worldwide. Active.com provides online registration and technology services for Ironman Florida, Ralphs California Half Ironman, HSBC Ironman USA Lake Placid, Ironman Utah Provo, Ironman Wisconsin Madison, Ironman Canada and Ironman Malaysia.
Mike Reilly, Active.com's vice president of national account sales and voice of Ironman events worldwide, added, "With the sport's increasing popularity, online registration is a necessity to ensure race entry and efficient management. We're extremely proud to join forces with Ironman New Zealand to bring online registration for this event. Ironman New Zealand is the oldest international Ironman event, and second only to Kona in terms of international participants. We're thrilled to support an event that represents such tradition."
Through its sister company, Active Europe, online information and registration for thousands of events are also provided across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Active Europe (www.ActiveEurope.com) provides software, marketing, online registration, and online data and event management tools for events that include the Venice Marathon (Venezia, Italy - October 27; 8,000+ participants); Roc d-Azur (Fréjus, France - November 10; 25,000+ participants); The Golden Jubilee British 10K (London, England - July 21; 10,000+ participants); and Inline Challenge 2002 (Huefingen, Germany - July 26; 2,000+ participants).
About Ironman New Zealand
Ironman New Zealand is steeped in Ironman tradition. It is the oldest international Ironman aside from the World Championship in Kona, and in 2003 it is again the early season race on the Ironman calendar. The event was reborn in 1998 when it moved to the spectacular and scenic splendor of the lakeside resort town of Taupo located in the heart of New Zealand's North Island. The Taupo course is one of the best in the world. It boasts a crystal clear freshwater swim, scenic bike along forest-lined roads with minimal traffic, and a near-flat run providing an open, competitive course. Ironman New Zealand is a true international event attracting athletes from more than 30 countries. It offers a total prize purse of US $50,000 and a chance to qualify for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
About Active.com
Event organizers worldwide use Active.com's services to set up online registration for their events, process registration, manage their data and promote their events on their own Web sites and on www.active.com. With investors such as Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and Brain Maxwell, PowerBar founder and world-class marathoner, Active.com has deep ties in the industry and a solid history in participatory sports and event management. The management team and staff have both participated and managed events, from running and triathlon to adventure racing. For event organizers, working with Active.com gives them the freedom to focus on their events. Active.com is a property of The Active Network. For more information about The Active Network, visit www.theactivenetwork.com .