On June 17, history will be made in Des Moines in the world of triathlons.

A record-high $700,000 in prize money will be dispersed to world-class athletes for the inaugural Hy-Vee Triathlon. The event is an International Triathlon Union World Cup event.

To put that into perspective, the event coordinator, Bill Burke, said the triathlon world championship gives out only $250,000 in prize money.

Des Moines is only the fourth U.S. city to ever host a World Cup elite triathlon, joining New York, Honolulu and St. Petersburg, Fla. Burke said the destination was a simple choice to make.

“It was easy,” said Burke. “Hy-Vee’s corporate headquarters is in Des Moines, and it’s just a beautiful city. It was our first choice, and it’s turned out great.”

Seventy-five elite women and 75 elite men will be competing for the 1st-place prize of $200,000 and a new Hummer H3, which will be awarded to the top male and female from the elite athlete races. Many of the athletes competing in this race are of Olympic caliber, including America’s arguably most famous triathlon athlete, Hunter Kemper.

“This will be a chance for the people of Iowa to see the greatest athletes in the world,” Burke said.

The event is the biggest triathlon of the year, and Beth Damm, Hy-Vee’s director of marketing projects, said it has the numbers to prove it.

“We are quite pleased to report that we will have over 1,500 age group [amateur] athletes that represent 40 states and 3 foreign countries in the Sunday morning race,” Damm said.

The amateur races will carry the bulk of the participants and is separated into different age groups. The winner of each of these amateur groups will receive a prize of $750.

Iowa State will be represented in the event by at least two participants, Mackenzie Madison, senior in health and human performance, and Grant Reuter, who graduated in May.

“I found out about the triathlon last May when it started being advertised a little bit,” Reuter said. “It’s nice to have one in my hometown finally; I’ve traveled to other places like Florida and Texas, so this will be cool.”

Madison felt the same way.

“I was real excited when I found out,” Madison said. “In Iowa, if there’s a big race, I love it. I feel like people think it’s a state where we all sit around, eat pork and get fat, which is not the case. Also, it’s promoting a healthy lifestyle, which is good.”

John Meyer, senior in material’s engineering and president of the ISU triathlon club, won’t be participating in the event but supports the healthy lifestyle the sport promotes.

“Growing up I was a swimmer and a runner, and I’ve always enjoyed biking,” Meyer said. “I think it’s good for people our age to get a healthy lifestyle started – our country, as a whole, isn’t too good at it.”

For Reuter, it’s not just a healthy lifestyle but it’s a way for him to stay competitive, which is something he’s been doing his whole life.

“I’ve been playing sports since I was five,” Reuter said. “It’s hard for kids – especially when they’re out of college – to compete, but with this you can. I also like the fact that you meet tons of people from all different walks of life,”

Spectators are strongly desired by all involved with the event.

“If you want to watch a triathlon, this is the one to go to,” Madison said. “It’s in a nice location and you’ll be able to see the best athletes in the world during a good majority of the race.”

“A lot of people in Iowa have never been to a triathlon,” Burke said. “It will blow their mind. It’s the biggest triathlon of the year in their state.”

At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, the women will compete, and afterward, the men compete at 4:30 p.m. The triathlon will end at the state capital, where the award ceremony will be held.

For more details on the event visit www.hy-veetriathlon.com.