Jerry, Its probably somewhere between rumor and reality. Ironman North America is soliciting race venues to replace certain North American races, or maybe even to add to the current crop. We have a local group here in the Colonial Williamsburg, VA area who submitted their proposal/bid last week. I believe the short list of the 5 finalists is due sometime in the next few months, after IM North America has the chance to actually go to the prospective venues. According to the head of the local group, this east coast race will replace IM Florida whose contract is up after this year, for a period of 5 years, but I'm personally not entirely sure this is the case. At any rate, several east coast venues are submitting proposals. Virginia and Maryland are just two of many. I think the target for our local group is to get the race for fall 2004.

The IM distance part is true.

You can go to www.tricolumbia.org for ther blurb at the bottom of the poage. It just says "Chesapeake Challenge iron distance race comign fall 2004" or something like that.

So you can just about figure on an iron distance race for next fall in cambridge.

The M dot part is more speculation. The m dot folks have made it known that they are looking for more money than they are currently receiving right now.

You've also go the fact that eagleman has been a qualifier for a long time and the organization clearly has some sort of relationship with the tricolumbia folks.

I just inquired about it w/ www.tricolumbia.org. The date for the event is scheduled for 09/27/04.