New event, IronKids Louisville Fun Run presented by Kosair Children’s Hospital, to be Held on Saturday, August 25

Norton Sports Health today announced that it will sponsor the 2012 Ironman Louisville on Sunday, August 26. The long-distance triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run.

As it has in previous years, Norton Healthcare and its nurses and physicians will also set-up and manage the athlete triage area at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The Ironman Louisville triage is the largest temporary emergency care facility outside of hospital emergency rooms in Kentucky.

A new event is being added to this year’s lineup called IronKids Louisville Fun Run. Presented by Kosair Children’s Hospital, IronKids will take place on Saturday, August 25 at 10 a.m. on the Great Lawn of Waterfront Park. IronKids is open to youth athletes, between the ages of 3 and 15. Registration will be located on the Great Lawn on race morning from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. More information can be found at www.ironkids.com. A fee of $10 is required for IronKids participants.

Ironman Louisville, presented by Norton Sports Health, will begin at 7 a.m. on Sunday, August 26 on the Great Lawn of Waterfront Park. The swim will take place in the Ohio River. The bike course takes riders through the City of LaGrange and Oldham County while the run course takes athletes past the waterfront, University of Louisville campus, Churchill Downs and man of Louisville’s historic neighborhoods. The race will finish at Fourth Street Live in downtown Louisville. Ironman Louisville will serve as one of the worldwide qualifying events for the 2012 Ironman World Championship. Registration information for Ironman Louisville can be found at www.ironmanlouisville.com.

“We are thrilled to bring this great event back to Louisville this year and are even more excited to create a new event focused on health and wellness for the kids and youth in our community” says Jon Cooper, System Vice President, Surgical & Orthopedic Services for Norton Healthcare. “As a leader in orthopedic and sports medicine, it is our goal to help athletes get back in the game. We are looking forward to providing area athletes this opportunity by sponsoring the Ironman and IronKids events for the next three years.”

Norton Sports Health has an agreement with the World Triathlon Corporation to bring the Ironman Louisville to the city for the next three consecutive years. The event will continue to include IronKids, presented by Kosair Children’s Hospital.