Wheaties will feature the champion of the Ford Ironman World Championship, on its box for the first time in coming months as part of a campaign to position its Wheaties Fuel cereal as a key component of any sports nutrition diet.


Chris McCormack finished the grueling 140.6-mile race in just over eight hours, at 08:10:37 to break through the finish line tape first among approximately 1,800 of the world’s top professional and age group athletes competing in the 2010 championship event. McCormack finished strong in the 2.4-mile swim with 51:36, and maintained a front position during his 112-mile cycle leg of 04:31:51. He finished ahead of the competition with a 02:43:31 26.2-mile run. This marks McCormack’s fourth top-10 finish and second championship at the Ford Ironman World Championship. McCormack also holds five Ironman Australia titles.


“We are so excited to welcome Chris into the Wheaties family and celebrate his tremendous achievement in winning this highly competitive championship,” said Wheaties Marketing Manager Dan Stangler. “The Ironman triathlon competitors are some of the toughest and most fit endurance athletes in the world, and each competitor to complete an Ironman competition is a champion in his or her own right. It is with great appreciation for what they do that we are showcasing a true Ironman champion on the Wheaties box.”


Wheaties developed its Wheaties FUEL cereal with input from several elite professional athletes and is promoting it as the official cereal of the Ironman Triathlon. Wheaties claims Fuel provides a blend of carbohydrates: simple carbs for rapid supply of energy, complex carbohydrates from whole grain to provide long-lasting energy and help fuel working muscles, and fiber to curb hunger while limiting feelings of fullness. B-vitamins help unlock the energy contained in the carbohydrates.

 

Wheaties FUEL also contains an excellent source of iron. Iron helps transport oxygen to working muscles. The cereal was developed by a team of elite athletes in various sports of triathlon (Hunter Kemper), decathlon (Bryan Clay), basketball (Kevin Garnett), baseball (Albert Pujols) and football (Peyton Manning), and a leading sports nutritionist (Dr. John Ivy, University of Texas) to help fuel wins.

Wheaties is promoting Wheaties FUEL by sponsoring the Ironman event and distributing a video featuring nutrition tips from Ironman competitors from all over the world. The inaugural video is available to view on the Wheaties Facebook page, as well as on Wheaties.com. The brand has challenged Ironman athletes from around the globe to submit their nutrition tips via video submissions to the Wheaties Facebook page, to share their personal learnings with other athletes.


Wheaties FUEL will be supporting its role as the official cereal of the Ironman Triathlon with national television, print and online advertising. The brand will also have on-site activation at upcoming Ironman events in the form of signage, sampling stations and a presence on the run course to help fans encourage their athletes through the finish.


World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owner and organizer of the Ironman Triathlon, is a Florida-based company. Each year, more than 120,000 athletes compete for slots in either the Ford Ironman World Championship, held every October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 held in Clearwater, Fla.


Throughout its 32-year history, Ironman has transformed from an event into a lifestyle and sports brand that includes licensed products and television production. Ironman has global reach with more than 66 events worldwide and continues to inspire millions each year to establish goals and take on new personal challenges, demonstrating the Ironman mantra, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”