National duathlon championships coming to St. Paul

Runners and bikers from around the country will flock to St. Paul for the Duathlon National Championships this coming summer.

Organizers from USA Triathlon expect the event to bring as many as 1,200 athletes to the city for the July 19 race.

In a standard duathlon, athletes run 5 kilometers, bike nearly 35 more, then run another 5 kilometers. This year's event was held in Tucson, Ariz.

Pending city approval, the route will send competitors from Harriet Island through a course that including parts of downtown St. Paul and Lilydale Road, according to Tim Yount, USA Triathlon's chief operating officer.

"This is probably the most unique bike course that we've seen in a bike course that we've seen at a national championship ever, because it has everything. It climbs, it descends and it requires you to have some power on the flat stretches," he said.

Organizers chose Minnesota for its central location relative to places where duathlon is most popular, including the mid-Atlantic region, Colorado and California.

The race will serve as the only qualifier for the 2015 Duathlon World Championships in Australia. Yount said the top 18 finishers in each age groups will win a shot at competing there.