Friday, January 13, 2012 | By: Jessica Rapp (阮洁茜)

For the first time in history, the qualifying race for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is coming to Beijing. Athletes from around the world will gather at Qinglong Lake Park (青龙湖园 ), Fengtai District, in September to for the chance to join the 2,000-strong field in San Francisco next year and race in the world famous Escape from Alcatraz event.

The Beijing International Triathlon is expected to attract approximately 300 participants, who will race across a challenging 51.5-km long swimming, running and cycling course in the scenic surroundings of Fengtai.  The district’s rugged mountains, hot springs and architectural landscape features will be integrated into the course, providing a unique backdrop for one of the toughest races in sports.  Competitors will kick-off the swimming leg of the triathlon at Qinghong Lake, before setting off for the 10-km running leg along Gongyi Bridge (公益桥) and returning to start a 40-km bike ride.

The top 50 finishers will go on to compete in San Francisco’s 29^th annual Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, named after America’s infamous maximum security prison, which boasted zero escapes during its operational period from the mid-1930′s to the mid-1960′s.

The event is backed by a cooperative partnership between the Fengtai Sports Bureau, Beijing Sports Bureau, Fengtai Government and IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion and media. The Fengtai Sports Bureau has signed a five-year contract with IMG to continue to host the Beijing International Triathlon until 2016.

Stay tuned for coverage of the event when it hits Beijing in September.

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