Asia-Pacific continues to stake its claim as one of the fastest growing regions in the sport of triathlon – as a new IM 70.3 event is added in Indonesia. A release from IRONMAN brand owner World Triathlon Corp (WTC), notes that the popularity of IRONMAN in Asia-Pacific continues, with the addition of the Swiss-Belhotel sponsored IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan in Indonesia.
Formerly the popular MetaMan Bintan triathlon, the event has joined the IRONMAN kin, making it the 16th IRONMAN 70.3 in the region, and the inaugural M-Dot branded event taking place on 23 August this year. It will become one of the first qualifying races for the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship to be held in Sunshine Coast, Australia.
Just a short ferry ride from Singapore, the MetaMan Bintan triathlon started in 2012, offering both full distance and long distance races. Set on the beautiful beach resort of Bintan in Indonesia, MetaMan became a must-do race for many triathletes.
The course for IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan will take athletes on an impressive journey around Bintan Island. The 1.9K swim is in calm and crystal-clear waters, followed by a scenic one-lap 90K bike on smooth, wide roads, and a spectator-friendly, three-lap 21K run.
“We are thrilled to add another race in Asia-Pacific in association with MetaSport, who ran the MetaMan event which was well-established in the region,” said Geoff Meyer, IRONMAN Asia-Pacific CEO. “MetaSport have done a great job growing this event and we look forward to working with them and continuing our strong commitment to growing the sport across Asia.”
IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan, Indonesia will be open to relay teams and will also include an IRONKIDS event as well as a shorter AquaBike and Bintain Blitz triathlon for individuals or relay teams.
“After many successful years of hosting MetaMan, our long distance triathlon event in Bintan, Indonesia, we are delighted to be joining the IRONMAN 70.3 family,” said MetaSport Managing Director Nathalie Marquet. “The appetite for triathlon is strong in our region and I can think of no better place to bring a world championship qualifier.”
Bintan is a stunning island paradise providing endless beaches, a wide variety of international-class resorts and tropical holiday activities including golf, spas and water sports. Its close proximity to Singapore gives visitors the best of both worlds – a vibrant city to go to, coupled with a beautiful beach holiday.
Entries for IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan, Indonesia have already opened with the race offering US$25,000 professional prize purse and 40 age group qualifying slots for the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Sunshine Coast, Australia.
MetaSport is a leading sport management company in Asia staging some of the largest and most established triathlon and cycling events in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, among which the Singapore International ITU Triathlon, IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan and the MetaSprint Series Singapore.
MetaSport has its roots dating back to the year 2000, when it picked up that triathlon – a fresh, new, vibrant sport – had a bright future in South East Asia. The company launched its first event in 2005 and never looked back. The constant growth of its events and the ongoing increase of its market share is seen as a reflection of an ‘impeccable track record and uncompromising search for quality at all levels’.
MetaSport also provides expert coaching to individuals and groups of all levels, from absolute beginners to high performance athletes.
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www.metasport.com
