April 18, 2009

3.1 mile run / 12 mile bike / 1 mile run

formerly the Whistlestop Duathlon

 

NEW DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM LOCATION

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park

 

presented by the City of Birmingham and supported by
the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitor's Bureau

 

 

For our 14th year, we are making a big move to downtown Birmingham. Our past 13 years working with the City of Irondale has been fantastic, the city has been incredibly supportive. Unfortunately, venue changes are requiring us to make a move. We are pleased to announce that the City of Birmingham will help us keep this wonderful event alive.

 

The race name has been changed to the "Magic City Duathlon" since the "Whistlestop Duathlon" name was very specific to our previous host city of Irondale... we have also taken this change a little further to offer shorter distances for the duathlon at 3.1 miles of running, 12 miles of biking and 1 mile of running.

 

The Magic City Duathlon is open to all athletes for participation and there are no qualification requirements. The race is part of Powerman Alabama Duathlon weekend and in addition to the Magic City Duathlon on Saturday, there will be a PowerKids Duathlon and 16th Street Baptist Church 5k Run. Following the Team Magic events on Saturday, the Birmingham International Center and Cahaba Cycles bring you The Cyclismo Criterium bike race.

 

On Sunday, the Powerman Alabama Duathlon will take place along with the new Trak Shak Magic City 8k Run.

 

All event activities take place at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Late registration and packet pick up for all events will take place in "the Commons Room." You will be able to purchase discounted tickets at packet pick up to take a tour.

 

 

Why is Birmingham the "Magic City?"

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Birmingham was founded in 1871, just after the U.S. Civil War, as an industrial enterprise. It was named after Birmingham, one of the UK's major industrial cities. Through the middle of the 20th century, Birmingham was the primary industrial center of the Southern United States. The astonishing pace of Birmingham's growth through the turn of the century earned it the nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South".

 

Over the course of the 20th century, the city's economy diversified. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other industries such as banking, insurance, medicine, publishing, and biotechnology have risen in stature. Birmingham has been recognized as one of the top cities for income growth in the United States South with a significant increase in per capita income since 1990.[3]

 

Today, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the U.S. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to one Fortune 500 company: Regions Financial. Five Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Birmingham.