It may be half the distance, but that hasn’t limited the IRONMAN 70.3 series from going on a full-scale expansion around the world. ADVERTISING It may be half the distance, but that hasn’t limited the IRONMAN 70.3 series from going
It may be half the distance, but that hasn’t limited the IRONMAN 70.3 series from going on a full-scale expansion around the world.
The series has grown to 87 events across the globe — from the 2015 70.3 World Championships to be held in Zell Am See-Kaprun, Austria, to the scenic 70.3 race along the Kohala Coast on Saturday.
“We are so excited with the enthusiasm surrounding the 70.3 series,” Vice President of Ironman’s World Championship events Diana Bertsch said. “It is an event we have always expected to be dynamic and the demand just keeps growing.”
IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii — also known as Honu — has a history on the Big Island that dates back to 2004. It started out as a local Olympic distance race with a little more than 200 athletes, but has grown to more than 2,000 participants and sells out earlier every year.
“It’s a beautiful destination race,” Honu Race Director Danielle Swenson said. “Not only that, but they also get to race on part of the celebrated World Championship course.”
Over the years, the Big Island half-Ironman has attracted some of the biggest names in triathlon, including Craig Alexander, Chris McCormack and even polarizing cyclist Lance Armstrong, who won the event in 2012. But this year, Honu will not host a professional division, putting the focus more on the age group athletes.
“There is not a professional race — there is no prize money or points,” Swenson said. “They are welcome to compete in it, but it is not recognized as a division.”
Frederic Limousin, of France, and Canada’s Anthony Toth are the only two professional athletes registered for the race.
Honu is one of 11 IRONMAN 70.3 races not hosting a professional field. Bertsch said the decision not only aids in highlighting the age group athletes, but makes more prize money available at other events that may have deeper professional fields.
The changes are also a part of the sport growing and evolving.
Honu also made headlines when it was reported that it would no longer serve as an age group qualifier for the IRONMAN World Championship, held annually in Kailua-Kona. However, the race still provides 30 qualifying slots for the 70.3 World Championship, which will be held in Austria this year, putting the event on European soil for the first time.
“Honu is still a qualifier for a World Championship race,” Bertsch said. “And we will take that 70.3 World Championship race to the next level this year, going to Austria.”
Even further changes will be coming in 2017 to the 70.3 World Championship. IRONMAN announced in a press release Tuesday that Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lake Placid, New York, and St. George, Utah are the three finalist cities vying to host the event.
Also new for 2017 will be the two-day event format for the 70.3 championship, with the professional women and age group women racing on one day, and the professional men and age group men on the other.
IRONMAN Chief Executive Officer Andrew Messick explained the decision to expand the event to two days.
“With the global explosion of IRONMAN 70.3 races, we expect approximately 4,500 athletes from around the world to qualify for the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, which is too many for a single day of racing,” Messick said. “We are focused on providing more opportunities for women to race with us globally and, after consulting with members of our Women For Tri Board, felt that having a separate race for female professional and age group athletes would be a strong step forward for our sport.”
