General entries for the recently announced Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship are expected to sell out at a record rate when registrations open on Sunday 28 August 2011. Approximately 1,500 general entries are available for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship, and the event is expected to be one of the most in-demand Ironman events in the world.
Following the August announcement of the highly anticipated event, race organizers have fielded unprecedented interest among athletes from across Australia and all corners of the globe. The interest in this new championship event comes on the heels of the rapid sell-out of the Ironman US Championship, to be held next year in the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan region.
“Ironman is experiencing a period of phenomenal growth and demand in Australia with events like the 2011 SunSmart Ironman Western Australia and the 2012 Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia selling out in a matter of minutes,” said Shane Smith, World Triathlon Corporation’s Managing Director for Australia. “Right now, interest in our existing events is the highest ever and we expect the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship to be no different.”
The inaugural Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will take place in Melbourne, Australia, on 25 March 2012. This race will be the first-ever Ironman triathlon competition to be held in the Melbourne metropolitan area.
The 226K race will take place in Melbourne’s South East and Bayside suburbs. The course will include a 3.8K swim in the Frankston Foreshore, a fast and smooth 180K bike on the Eastlink Tollway and 42.2K run from Frankston to the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship finish line, located at the iconic St Kilda sea baths.
The 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship is one of nearly 30 Ironman events worldwide. Athletes will compete for a professional prize purse of US$100,000 and 75 age group qualifying slots to the 2012 Ironman World Championship, more than any other race in the Asia-Pacific region. The Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will also include a relay division with registration opening at a later date and a range of supporting events, such as an IronKids race, providing participation opportunities for more than 3,000 athletes during race week.
General entry for the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship will open on Sunday 28 August 2011, at 13:00 AEST at www.ironmanmelbourne.com. Due to the anticipated sell-out, athletes are encouraged to be on-line as soon as registration opens to have the best chance of securing an entry into the race.
