Toyota Cup Series expands

The Race to the Toyota Cup has expanded from six events to seven for the 2011 season. Gone from the series is the Nautica NYC Triathlon, one of last season's 6-race series. Added are the Nautica South Beach Triathlon and the Capital of Texas Triathlon in Austin.

The Series' new additions continue the theme of large-participation races near metro areas with big triathlon contingents. The CapTex race in Austin draws more than 3000 participants, and the Nautica Miami event—a Michael Epstein race that might be styled the East Coast version of Epstein's famous Malibu Triathlon—is another large event.

One obvious change to the Series this new lineup brings is a significant lengthening of the season. In years past, the Series didn't get underway until around the first of July. A Series season that was barely 3 months long is now 5 months long.

The 2011 Series, produced by Life Time Fitness in partnership with Toyota, will consist of the following events:

- Nautica South Beach Triathlon (Miami) – April 10
- Capital of Texas Triathlon (Austin) – May 30
- Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon – June 26
- Life Time Fitness Triathlon (Minneapolis) – July 9
- Life Time Fitness Chicago Triathlon – August 28
- Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon – September 25
- Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon (Dallas) – October 2