For Immediate Release

Contact: Desiree Friedman, 818-707-8866 Ext. 15, desiree@mesp.com

April 1, 2008

Celebrities, athletes and local competitors face-off to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:
Vanessa J. Poskanzer
KSVP Media and Events, Inc.
305.604.5787
vanessa@ksvpmedia.com



First Annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon

Celebrities, athletes and local competitors face-off to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital


(March 2008) Miami Beach, FL – On Sunday, April 13, 2008, famous faces and determined athletes will meet on the sands of Miami Beach to compete in the First Annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon, presented by Toyota. Celebrities scheduled to participate include “The Bachelor’s” Andy Baldwin, renowned chef Rocco DiSpirito, actresses Missy Pyle and Shawnee Smith and many more. This highly anticipated race expects to draw thousands of spectators to witness the fierce competition as well as enjoy a fun-filled day on the vibrant beaches of Miami Beach. The Nautica South Beach Triathlon will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to pediatric cancer research.

Participants will gather on South Beach before dawn and at 7:15 am will run into the Atlantic for an invigorating half-mile ocean swim, then bike 18 miles over Miami Beach’s Causeways with scenic views of the Intracoastal Waterway, downtown Miami and Miami Beach, and conclude with a four mile run alongside Miami Beach’s Art Deco District with a grand finish on the white sands of South Beach.

“Miami boasts great weather year-round with sunny days, breezy nights and beautiful beaches making it the perfect city for another Nautica triathlon,” states Denise Seegal, CEO and President of VF Sportswear, Inc. “We love the spirit and companionship among celebrities and competitors for which this triathlon is so well known and we’re excited to bring it to Miami.”

“We are proud to be bringing this wonderful event to Miami Beach. We are creating it as a sister event to the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, as South Beach has many of the same attributes of Malibu,” said Michael Epstein, President of Michael Epstein Productions (MESP). “It’s a great city, with beautiful beaches and presents an opportunity to showcase Miami Beach to athletes from around the globe!”

Participants for this event are coming in from all over the world including Aruba, Canada, Mexico, Israel and several parts of the US to compete. It will be televised nationwide on Fox Sport Network.


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Weekend Schedule:

Saturday, April 12, 2008 – Beach Expo
1:00pm Registration and Packet Pickup begins
Beach Expo Opens / Interactive Booths Open
Free Fitness Clinics Begin / Sand Castle Demo Begins
4:00pm Sand Castle Demo Ends
5:00pm Registration and Packet Pick Up ends

Sunday, April 13, 2008 – Race Day
5:30am Packet pickup, Body marking and Transition area opens
6:45am Registration closes
7:00am Pre-race meeting at stage
7:15am Race Start!
9:00am Fun Zone and Nautica Kids Run and Tot Trot Opens
9:45am Nautica Kids Run and Tot Trot start
10:00am Celebrity Division Awards Ceremony
10:45am Competitor Awards Ceremony


For more information or to register for the Nautica South Beach Triathlon please visit the website at www.SouthBeachTri.com. Registration is open to all. Racers have the option to compete individually or as part of a relay team. The fee is $85 for individual participants and $125 for three-person relay teams. Registration will be available, if the event is not sold out, April 12 from 1:00pm – 5:00pm and April 13 from 5:30am – 6:45am on site. The race will be limited to 1,000 participants.

ABOUT ST. JUDE:
St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility anywhere. Discoveries made have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do more science, more quickly. Where doctors across the world send their toughest cases and most vulnerable patients. Where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay. They have built America's 3rd-largest health-care charity, with a model that keeps the costs down and the funds flowing, so the science never stops. For more information visit www.stjude.org.

ABOUT NAUTICA:
Founded in 1983, Nautica® is a leading global lifestyle brand ranging from men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories to a complete home collection. Nautica® products are refined casual classics inspired and energized by the water that are always crisp, clean and distinct. Today Nautica® is available in more than 64 countries with more than 190 Nautica® branded stores worldwide. In 2003, the Company was acquired by VF Corporation, a world leader in branded apparel, including sportswear, jeanswear, outdoor products, imagewear and contemporary brand products. Its principal brands include Lee®, Wrangler®, John Varvatos®, JanSport®, Eastpak®, The North Face®, Vans®, Napapijri®, Kipling®, Reef®, 7 For All Mankind® and lucy®. For additional information, please go to www.nautica.com and www.vfc.com.

ABOUT MESP:
Since 1986, MESP, Inc. has been a leader in lifestyle sports marketing. As a full service marketing and production company, MESP, Inc. has consistently delivered top quality events to athletes across the country. MESP, Inc. has produced events such as the Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Toyota, the Arrowhead Day at the Beach Triathlon presented by Toyota and the Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series. MESP strives to produce events with a festive atmosphere that make a difference in people’s lives and that continually maximize the enjoyment of the athletes, the exposure of the sponsors, and the well being of the community.

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Media Credentials

For press credential information please contact Desiree Friedman at desiree@mesp.com or by phone at (818) 707-8866 Ext. 15.

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