IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo 2019 in February
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Julian Bolling (3rd right) stressing a point at the launch of IRONMAN 70.3 2019 - Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
Following the success of the 1st edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo 2018 which took place early this year, the the organisers have once again joined hands to hold the Triathlon for the 2nd consecutive year.
The 1st edition attracted over 880 participants worldwide, with over 2,300 friends and families from 63 countries, and foreign exchange earnings close to US$ 3 million.
The upcoming triathlon is scheduled for February 24, 2019, and will be conducted by ProAm Serendib, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Ministry of Tourism.
IRONMAN 70.3, also known as Half IRONMAN, is part of a series of long distance Triathlon races held globally, which was initiated by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The “70.3″ in this segment denotes the total distance of 70.3 miles (113 km) covered in the race, made up of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. So, each of these distances, comprising swimming, cycling, and running segments, is half the distance of that segment in an IRONMAN Triathlon.
The event had a significant impact on the Travel and Tourism sector, attracting 2,300 foreign visitors to Colombo. Families that came to witness the Triathlon, reportedly stayed over 6 days and spent over US$ 400 per day.
The 1st Sri Lankan edition took place in Colombo and commenced with a 1.9 km ocean swim off Galle Face Green, followed by a 90-km cycling course through the Port of Colombo. The final leg of the competition involved the 21.-km run passing through some of Colombo’s landmarks and the Port of Colombo.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo 2019 Triathlon is an age-group-only race offering 30 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2019 in Nice, France, scheduled for February 2019.