Ironman World Champion Patrick Lange Top Draw in 2019 Ironman 70.3 Vietnam Asia-Pacific Championships
By Mike Fielder
March 7, 2019
- 2019 TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, the 5th annual Asia-Pacific Championship will take place in Da Nang, Vietnam on May 12, 2019
- $75,000 USD professional prize purse to be awarded to top finishers
- 50 qualifying slots to the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France
The 5th edition of this event will be hosted in the beautiful city of Da Nang from May 9-12, 2019 with the IRONMAN 70.3 race taking place on Sunday, May 12th and will likely outpace the 1,600 participants from 56 countries and over 630 Vietnamese from the 2018 event.
As part of the 5th year anniversary of the event, Vietnam has also been selected to host the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the first time ever. The reputation of this event continues to grow each year and it has been identified as one of the best races in the region. From a single event in 2015, the event has become a multi-day, multi-sport festival that attracts athletes from across the globe and has inspired more and more Vietnamese athletes to embrace the sport and the healthy lifestyle that comes along with the challenge of completing one of the hardest, single-day endurance challenges in the world.
“It is exciting to have the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship return to Southeast Asia again in 2019”, said IRONMAN Asia Managing Director, Geoff Meyer. “Having Vietnam host this championship event reflects the incredible growth of the sport in this country as we have witnessed a 10-fold increase in Vietnamese participants since the inaugural event in 2015.
The event is expected to attract a large field of professional athletes given the large prize purse of 75,000 USD. Additionally, the TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam Asia-Pacific Championship will have 50 qualifying slots for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
The 2019 edition will see many professional athletes return, including reigning IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam and 2016 70.3 World Champion, Tim Reed, who is eager to return to defend his title. “The 2019 TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam combines all of my favorite aspects of triathlon into what will be one amazing weekend; an incredibly beautiful location, a very unique cultural experience, world class competition and a championship IRONMAN 70.3 event run by the very best triathlon organization in the business, Sunrise Events – I can’t wait!”
Radka Kahlefeldt, the 2018 TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam female champion and reigning Asia-Pacific Champion has already committed to returning to one of her favorite race destinations in the world and shared, “I will be back as Vietnam is one of my favorite countries. It is also easy to travel to and is not only a great race but also a fun race week and very family friendly. There is so much to do that I would recommend coming with family and friends and staying a few days longer after the race to enjoy beautiful Vietnam, and experience the local food and wonderful hospitality.”
Patrick Lange, the2017 and 2018 IRONMAN World Champion, will be among the pro competitors attending in May 2019.
Mr. Nguyen Le Quoc Anh, CEO of Techcombank, strategic partner and title sponsor of IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, shared, “It is an honor to be a partner in bringing the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship to Vietnam. The growth of the sport and increased Vietnamese participation goes hand-in-hand with the continued economic development of the country and the strong growth of the middle class. Techcombank is excited to support all participants to be greater in the pursuit of their finish line goals. A number of Techcombank employees, including myself, will also embrace the IRONMAN spirit that ‘Anything is Possible’ by joining participants at the start line, on the race course, and at the finish line as we celebrate what it means to be greater together.”
The partnership between Techcombank and IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam played an integral part in bringing the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship to Vietnam. Both Techcombank and Sunrise Events Vietnam share common values and a customer-centric approach that allows the two parties to work incredibly well together to deliver unforgettable experiences for participants.
The launch of this partnership in 2018 with Techcombank and IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam is the “new wind” that creates a push for great breakthroughs like hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship. Techcombank’s commitment to the production of world class sporting events such as IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam represents a belief in overcoming the challenges inherent in endurance sports– the individual’s ability to confidently create a healthy and vibrant lifestyle, a symbol of the individual and a community of athletes rising – being greater together. This commitment has been clearly demonstrated by Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon – held for the first time in 2017 and will return on December 2, 2018.
Sunrise Events Vietnam Multi-Sports Festival
Complementing the TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam on May 12th will be a number of other engaging events and activities, which will be organized throughout the weekend, including the 4th edition of the Newborns Run Out to be held on Friday, May 10th, the 4th edition of IRONKIDS Vietnam, and 3rd edition of SUNRISE SPRINT VIETNAM to be held on Saturday, May 11th.
The Newborns Vietnam Run Out is a fun way for participants and the local community to come together for a short run to raise awareness and funds for Newborns Vietnam, a charity organization committed to reducing infant mortality in Vietnam.
IRONKIDS will feature an ocean swim for those participating in the Aquathon (swim/run) category with a 100m swim and 1km run for ages 6 -10 and a 300m swim and a 2km run for ages 11-14. Similar to previous editions, there will also be a spirited run-only category for both age groups.
SUNRISE SPRINT VIETNAM provides a great opportunity for new triathletes to get into the sport and for competitive athletes that have not had time to train for the longer distance to still engage in healthy and wholesome competition. The shorter format SUNRISE SPRINT VIETNAM consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike ride, and a 5km run that will trace portions of the main IRONMAN 70.3 course event. Similar to the 70.3 event, the Sprint will also have a relay category.
General registration for TECHCOMBANK IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, Asia-Pacific Championship is still ongoing at www.ironman.com/vietnam70.3
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