World's Largest Triathlon Touts Largest Field in Triathlon History and Record Number of Female Athletes

Chicago, Ill. (July 8, 2004) - On Sunday, August 29, 2004, 7,500 athletes will travel from across the globe to Chicago to compete in the world's largest triathlon, which has grown ten-fold since the inaugural race in 1983.

The Accenture Chicago Triathlon, which offers an international distance competition featuring a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run course, had a record-breaking early sellout in March. Thirty-five percent of the 7,500 athletes are women, a 25 percent increase since 1983. Overall, the number of women in triathlons has skyrocketed, and in some venues they reportedly make up more than half the athletes*.

Olympic Excitement:
Adding to the escalation of the Chicago event, participants and viewers are speculating the outcome of the 2004 Olympics Triathlon competition, which takes place August 25 and 26. Many of the U.S. Olympic Triathletes participating in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Andy Pots, Hunter Kemper, Victor Plata, Sheila Taormina, Sheila Williams and Barb Lundquist, have been past competitors in "The Accenture." Barb Lundquist has won the Accenture Chicago Triathlon the past two years and is considered a top contender for the Women's Olympic Triathlon. Additionally, past Olympic competitor and winner of the Silver Medal, Michellie Jones, a seven-time winner of the Accenture Chicago Triathlon winner, will be participating in this year's event.

Accenture Chicago Triathlon Race Director, Jan Caille predicts the 2004 Olympics Triathlon competition "will be all about the American women."

Largest Field/Growing Technology:
"We're bringing the 21st annual Chicago Triathlon into the 21st Century with a bang with the largest field ever. With 7,500 triathletes registered for the Sunday event, if we lined up their bicycles end to end, they would stretch more than seven miles, all the way from Oak Park to the race site at Balbo and Columbus," said Mike Naset, Accenture's Chicago location lead partner and senior representative for the company in the Chicago marketplace.

Last year, Accenture lent its technical expertise to the world's largest triathlon, with its Interactive Messaging Service (IMS) to provide real-time race updates to the landlines or mobile phones of racers' friends and families. The system made it easier to track the more than 5,500 athletes for the estimated 500,000 spectators attending the event.

In the past, participants' times were collected at the end of the race from data collection machines placed along the course. This information was then downloaded, sorted, and made available on the Web the day after the triathlon. The racer's time was tracked, sorted, recorded and distributed in real time for immediate results.

Weekend of Event:
Three days of activities fill the 2004 Accenture Chicago Triathlon weekend. This year's Event kicks off on Friday, Aug. 27 with the two-day Multisport & Fitness Expo at the Hilton Chicago Friday and Saturday, which is produced in conjunction with the 2004 Accenture Chicago Triathlon. The Expo attracts 150 exhibitors and 18,000 visitors.

Preceding the Accenture Triathlon is the 14th running of the McDonald's Kid's Triathlon, which takes place on Chicago's lakefront between Foster and Montrose in association with the 8th Annual Fleet Feet SuperSprint Triathlon. Both events expect to attract an additional 1,800 participants to Chicago's lakefront. Team McDonald's, which is lead by coach, Maria Elipas, along with Accenture Paralympic athletes, will be hosting a kid's triathlon practice at Foster Avenue Beach, Wednesday, Aug. 25, from 3:30-5 p.m., where media and other interested parties are invited to come for a sneak peak at the team.

Registration for the 2004 Accenture Chicago Triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 29 is closed, but registration for the McDonald's Kid's Triathlon and Fleet Feet SuperSprint are still open.

For additional information visit www.chicagotriathlon.com.