Ironman honour for Durban

The inaugural race will be held on 2 August 2015.

Consisting of a 1.9-km swim, a 90.1-km bike and a 21.1-km run, the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 Durban course will be set along Durban’s Golden Mile, allowing athletes to cycle and run past the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“We are very excited to announce IRONMAN 70.3 Durban. The popularity of triathlon in South Africa is on the rise – and athletes have long awaited the introduction of an additional race in the region. Durban is a great location that is also one of the original South African triathlon hotbeds, with the South African pioneers of the sport thriving in the 1980s. We are therefore delighted to offer the IRONMAN 70.3 experience to the people of Durban and to welcome our international athletes to the east coast city,” said Keith Bowler, Managing Director for IRONMAN South Africa.

“IRONMAN’s development in South Africa has been breathtaking and it reflects on the great work our team has done as well as the power of our brand. I am excited to see that more and more international athletes decide to race in South Africa. Likewise our South African athlete base has grown tremendously over the past decade and I am very much looking forward to attending the inaugural Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship in Port Elizabeth,” said Thomas Dieckhoff, CEO IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The 2015 Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 Durban will have 50 qualifying slots to the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Professional athletes will compete at Durban for a total prize purse of $50,000 USD.

(File Photo: Office of the KZN Premier)

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