Universal Sports to Air Ironman World Championships Marathon All Day Long on New Year’s Day

 Grueling Athletic Competition to Provide Inspiration to Viewers on a Day Full of Fitness and Athletic Resolutions

 LOS ANGELES – December 28, 2009 – On a day of resolutions nationwide, Universal Sports is proud to present a television marathon one of the most challenging and grueling events the sports world has to offer: the Ironman World Championships.   Starting at 10AM ET, on January 1, 2010, Universal Sports will present a full day of Ironman World Championships from the past nine years, leading into a primetime re-air of the 2009 Ironman World Championship at 9PM ET.

 Competitors profiled in the 2009 show include professional triathletes like Great Britain's three-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington, as well as athletes with physical disabilities, military veterans, retired professionals and weight-loss success stories.  Matt Hoover, winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser show, reached his ultimate goal when he completed the 2009 event. A true inspiration, Hoover once weighed more than 340 pounds before dropping 160 pounds during the show and training for the Ironman.

 “The Ford Ironman World Championships is truly the ultimate test in fitness, endurance and the human spirit,” said Claude Ruibal, CEO of Universal Sports. “The Ironman Hawaii attracts avid triathlon fans, as well as general sports fans, simply because of the spectacle and awe of what the human body can do in this intense, grueling competition.  On a day of resolutions, it’s the perfect program to offer to our athletically-inclined audience.”

Ironman Marathon on New Year’s Day

10:00 AM – 2001 Ironman World Championship

11:30 AM – 2002 Ironman World Championship

1:00 PM – 2004 Ironman World Championship

3:00 PM – 2005 Ironman World Championship

4:00 PM – 2006 Ironman World Championship

6:00 PM – 2007 Ironman World Championship

7:30 PM – 2008 Ironman World Championship

9:00 PM – Countdown to Vancouver News Update

9:03 PM – 2009 Ironman World Championship

10:30 PM – 2001 Ironman World Championship

12:00 AM – Countdown to Vancouver News Update

12:03 AM  – 2009 Ironman World Championship

1:30 AM – 2008 Ironman World Championship

3:00 AM – 2005 Ironman World Championship

Universal Sports and NBC Sports are the exclusive U.S. television broadcasters for major World Triathlon Corporation events through 2013, including prestigious events like the Ford Ironman World Championship, and the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 from Clearwater, Florida.  NBC Sports has been broadcasting Ironman competitions since 1991 and has earned 15 Emmy wins and 50 nominations for its coverage.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online. Universal Sports is available in 56 million homes, including nine of the top 10 DMAs: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. Recent expansion includes launches in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Denver, Portland, and Jacksonville. Go to UniversalSports.com for a complete list of TV markets. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Universal Sports

Melisa Mowry

(240) 396-1906

mmowry@universalsports.com

Amy Sorrells

(404) 550-4885

amyssorrells@comcast.net 

World Triathlon Corporation

Blair LaHaye

813-868-5929

Blair@ironman.com