IRONMAN has confirmed that IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin will be returning to the Ireland’s capital on Sunday 20 August 2017. Entries for this eagerly awaited event, which sold out in its first year, will open on Wednesday 1 February at 13:00 GMT.
Over 2,000 athletes, either individually or in a relay team, will tackle the third annual IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin race, which incorporates a 1.2 mile (1.9km) swim, followed by a 56 mile (90km) bike ride and then a 13.1 (21.1km) mile half-marathon all within 8.5 hours in and around Dublin.
The open-water swim will take place in Scotsman’s Bay (Dún Laoghaire), before athletes mount their bikes to travel through Dublin and west of the city, through Fingal, Kildare and Meath, on a looped cycle course, finally returning to Phoenix Park for the half-marathon run where they will cross the finish line.
The swim and run course will remain unchanged, as will the majority of the bike course; but the final route will be subject to final approval by the statutory authorities and will be released in due course.
Kevin Stewart, Managing Director IRONMAN UK & Ireland said, “We are delighted to return to Dublin for the third consecutive year to this iconic city venue. The event has attracted thousands of athletes and spectators alike and we very much hope to welcome them again, and together with the support of the local authorities build on the success of 2017.”
Amongst the 2,000 entries, over 50% of whom are typically first timers, the event also has an international flavour. Last year athletes from 36 countries travelled across the globe to Dublin to compete, along with over 70% of Irish participants. The United States was the country with the third highest number of entries, including leading NASCAR driver Landon Cassil.
Additionally, IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin has been selected as a qualifying race for the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Mandela Bay, South Africa, with 50 qualifying slots up for grabs for the pinnacle event in the global IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series.
Last year, the USA’s Ben Collins and Susie Cheetham from the UK were crowned winners in the men’s and women’s pro races, finishing in 4:00:41 and 4:22:33 respectively. Ireland’s Bryan McCrystal was not only the top age group competitor but also finished in a phenomenal second place overall with a time of 04:00:56.
