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IRONMAN announced today the 2019 Toyota IRONMAN® 70.3® Bangsaen presented by MAMA, a new addition to the IRONMAN Asia calendar. The inaugural race will take place in Bangsaen, Thailand on Sunday, February 24, 2019.
Bangsaen is 75km (roughly 45-miles) Southeast of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and is easily accessible as it is only an hour drive away from Suvarnabhumi International Airport. An ideal location for an IRONMAN 70.3 event, Bangsaen is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand with a beautiful sandy beach stretching for 2.5km (nearly a mile and a half).
“We are very excited to host a new IRONMAN 70.3 race in Thailand – an amazing destination for local and international athletes,” said Geoff Meyer, Managing Director for IRONMAN Asia. “The passion for the sport of triathlon has been widely spreading in Thailand and across Asia, and this is what IRONMAN is about – bringing the sport to new places and people. The team and I are thrilled for this continued partnership with the Thailand Tri-League who will own and operate the race.”
The crescent of the Bangsaen beach facing the Gulf of Thailand will be the start of a counter-clockwise 1.9-km (1.2-mile) swim. Athletes will then ride on a scenic and well-shaded 90km (56-mile) bike course around the reservoir, enjoying a fast ride on wide roads that offer low rolling resistance. The run course has it all – a mix of flat terrain to rolling slopes and picturesque ocean views to scenic gardens. Athletes will run three loops through a famous tourist spot inhabited by a number of monkeys and cactus gardens for a total running distance of 21.1km (13.1 miles). They will then cross the finish line on the beachfront of The Bangsaen Heritage Hotel.
February is an ideal time of year to host the race with perfect tropical weather conditions and temperatures ranging from 24-32°C (close to 90°F).
“For the past three years, Bangsaen has been home to the biggest triathlon festival in Thailand and we are thrilled to welcome IRONMAN on board to bring it to a world-class event. This event will be a joint sport and tourism campaign between Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thailand Tri-league (TTL) and a major sport festival event in our country” said Mr. Kobkiat Sangwanich, CEO of Thailand Tri-League.
“Combining the IRONMAN expertise and our knowledge of the Bangsaen triathlon festival, I am confident that the Toyota IRONMAN 70.3 Bangsaen presented by MAMA will welcome many triathletes from all around the world and I truly believe that everyone will have an unforgettable experience with great hospitality.”
The 2019 Toyota IRONMAN 70.3 Bangsaen presented by MAMA will be an age group only event in 2019 and will offer 30 qualifying slots for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France. 28 slots will be granted for the age-group winners and two special slots will be reserved for the fastest Thai male and female athletes. On top of the individual category, 2019 Toyota IRONMAN 70.3 Bangsaen presented by MAMA will offer a relay team option, providing an opportunity for first timers to take part in an IRONMAN 70.3 race.
General registration for 2019 Toyota IRONMAN 70.3 Bangsaen presented by MAMA will open on July 20 2018, at www.ironman.com/bangsaen70.3. Athlete inquiries may be directed to admin@ironman703bangsaen.com.
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