As Toyota IRONMAN Australia gets set to celebrate its 30th year on Sunday 3 May, the organizing team has confirmed that the 2014 event has been voted as ‘the year’s best IRONMAN event experience in the world’ by the participating athletes.
IRONMAN athletes globally provide post-race feedback and for the 2014 season, IRONMAN Australia recorded the highest athlete satisfaction reading, outpointing 40 other IRONMAN events around the world.
“The IRONMAN Asia Pacific team is incredibly proud of the 2014 Toyota IRONMAN Australia for being ranked as the number one IRONMAN event worldwide for 2014,” IRONMAN Asia-Pacific CEO Geoff Meyer said. “The ranking is a true reflection of the hard work, passion and dedication from the incredible team that delivers the event.
“The overall satisfaction rating of 97% is a remarkable result for an event of this nature and is attributed to the team’s focus on providing an excellent athlete experience.”
Meyer also gave special thanks to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for its ‘unwavering enthusiasm, commitment and self-sacrifice’, the more than 2,000 volunteers from the Port Macquarie Hastings area that are the foundation of the event and the people of the Port Macquarie Hastings region for their continued support and enthusiasm for Toyota IRONMAN Australia each year.
“This award is their award as well, they are the reason the athletes keep coming back and racing at TOYOTA IRONMAN Australia,” he added.
Michael Reid, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee said the award was testament to the hard work and dedication shown by the dedicated group of volunteers from the Port Macquarie area.
“The LOC would like to thank the huge number of volunteers who each year assist with the ‘behind the scenes’ support leading into the event and on race day. Also a huge thank you to Port Macquarie Hastings Council for its ongoing support and to the many businesses who help promote Ironman Port Macquarie and the region generally,” Reid said.
He added, “The Local Organising Committee is looking forward to welcoming athletes to the 30th anniversary Race Day on 3rd May 2015.”
The 2014 Toyota IRONMAN Australia event included the introduction of key new innovations focused on improving the athlete experience including the ‘rolling swim start’ and the Australian Club Championships. These initiatives have proven popular in increasing the satisfaction and engagement of athletes within the event.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Mayor Peter Besseling said the result was something to be proud of. “We are extremely proud to have our community’s support for Toyota IRONMAN Australia recognised by athletes from around the world. The combination of a naturally beautiful area and terrific volunteers has proved a winner,” he said.
Toyota IRONMAN Australia is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.
