(Westlake Village, CA) October 12, 2009 – Iconic California-sport footwear and apparel brand, K•Swiss, congratulates Triathlon team athletes for dominating in their K•Swiss footwear at the 31st Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on Saturday, October 10th. Chris Lieto and Andreas Raelert shared the podium with respective second and third place finishes, while Terenzo Bozzone finished strong in 11th place as did Luke McKenzie in 15th.

Veteran K•Swiss athlete and California native Lieto, a seven-time Ironman World Championship competitor finished with a time of 8:22:56. Raelert, the German newcomer competing in his first Ironman World Championships, finished close behind with a final time of 8:24:32.

A robust roster of 19 K•Swiss athletes competed among an estimated 1,770 race participants attempting to conquer the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run on the Big Island of Hawaii.

In February of 2009, K•Swiss became the official apparel and footwear sponsor of Ironman. Lieto raced in the K•Swiss K-Ona™, an ultra-light (9oz) and stable running shoe perfect for fast days, races and triathlons. Since its debut at the Ironman World Championships in 2008, the K-Ona has been recognized as one of the industry’s top performing running shoes. At this year’s championship, K•Swiss introduced a limited edition collection of K-Ona™ II shoes printed with a flag design. The six different countries represented include Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Germany and the U.S.A.

Raelert raced in K•Swiss’ new offering for Spring 2010, the K-Ruuz™, a super-light racing flat that clocks in at a mere 6.5 ounces, perfect for those wanting to set a personal best and shave crucial seconds. Moisture management ensures the shoe finishes the race as light as when it began thanks to strategic drainage. Resiliency is achieved by lightweight Superfoam® under the sockliner, which translates to the ability to go extra miles in an incredibly light shoe. The K-Ruuz is also durable, supportive and breathable.

Learn about the K•Swiss athletes, the K-ona and the full range of K•Swiss performance running footwear and apparel at www.kswiss.com.

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