St. Louis, MO, October 26, 2005--Wear-Dated carpet fiber recently custom-designed the finish line carpet for the newly launched 2005 Iron Girl series.
The carpet features the Iron Girl and Wear-Dated logos in bright, bold colors set in a contemporary design.
Wear-Dated has worked with the World Triathlon Corporation, owners of Ironman and Iron Girl, to provide finish line carpet for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii for the past several years, as well as the Ironman qualifying events held across the United States and Canada. “When Judy Molnar at Iron Girl first described the concept, we were very excited about the opportunity to be a sponsor,” said Jody Williams, director of consumer marketing for Wear-Dated. “Women are the primary carpet decision makers and Iron Girl is developing events that are specifically designed for women. These events present terrific opportunities for us to communicate the Wear-Dated durability message to our target market in a meaningful way.”
“Our mission is to enhance the experience of women who are part of a healthy, balanced and active lifestyle,” said Judy Molnar, vice president of Iron Girl and 30-time triathlon participant. Williams adds: “As the ultimate durability brand, we are proud to support women as they seek their own personal best.”
Iron Girl events are as much an emotional experience as a physical one. “We know from our consumer research that women seek to connect with others, take time to care for themselves, explore new experiences and develop their own personal style,” says Williams. Iron Girl events address all these emotional needs. Setting a goal to participate in an event can be the motivation to set aside time each day for a woman to train, pay attention to nutrition and to herself, then be able to connect with others through shared struggles and ultimately a shared accomplishment.
Iron Girl also reaches out to the community and donates a portion of the race proceeds to charity.
For many of the participants, an Iron Girl is a first athletic event, a new experience. Whether a seasoned athlete or a newbie, each Iron Girl is celebrated. Race bibs are customized with each woman’s name, not just a number, so that everyone, not just family and friends can cheer her on. Music fills the air interrupted only by the announcer who congratulates every participant by name as she crosses the finish. “These are details that women notice and appreciate,” says Williams.
The Iron Girl logo – aptly named “Grace” – carries the tagline “Go ahead and find your inner grace!” encouraging women to find their inner Grace whenever they are pushed to their limits. When combined with the Wear-Dated logo of durability in the Iron Girl finish line carpet, Grace gives new meaning to the Iron Girl organization’s mantra of It’s not just a finish line. It’s your inspiration. “We celebrate the accomplishments of these women. They truly embody Grace under physical pressure!” says Williams.
Williams was the official starter for the Iron Girl duathlon, held at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on September 17. Over 300 women from five states participated in the event, ranging in ages from 10 to 65 years old, and fitness levels from beginner to elite. “Wear-Dated’s carpet at the finish line really set the stage, and helped us create a premier event. We heard great feedback from race participants,” commented Molnar.
The Bloomington duathlon was the second event of Iron Girl’s 2005 series, which began with a 5K run/walk in Seattle. Wear-Dated representative Gary Wiemann attended the Seattle event. “Iron Girl was well run and had excellent participation,” he said. “This is clearly Wear-Dated’s target audience and the finish line carpet does an excellent job promoting the Wear-Dated brand.” As the program develops, Wear-Dated plans to partner with local carpet retailers in the host cities.
