IRONMAN has confirmed the addition of the IRONMAN 70.3 Shanghai Chongming triathlon. The race will be the fifth IRONMAN 70.3 event in China. The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Shanghai Chongming triathlon will take place on Sunday, October 21, 2018, and registration opens on Friday, May 4.
“China is a growing region for the triathlete community, and Shanghai is a tourist destination that will certainly be an attractive place for athletes from around the world to come race in,” said Jeff Edwards, General Manager of Operations for IRONMAN China. “Chongming Island is going to provide the perfect scenic backdrop for our next IRONMAN 70.3 race.”
Chongming Island in Shanghai is the third largest island in China. As the largest alluvial island at the estuary of a river and the largest sand island in the world, Chongming Island is also acclaimed as the ‘Door to the Yangtze River’ and Yingzhou Island (a celestial mountain in fairy tales of ancient China) in the East China Sea. The main attractions on Chongming Island are the Chongming Academy (one of the only ancient Confucian academies in Shanghai); Dongping National Forest Park (largest man-made forest in Eastern China); Dong Tan Migratory Bird Protection Area; and Jin’ao Mountain (a Buddhist site with East-China-garden-style landscaping).
Taking place in the western portion of Chongming Island, the IRONMAN 70.3 Shanghai Chongming race will begin with a 1.2-mile (1.9-km) swim in the freshwater Mingzhu Lake. The swim will be a single-loop rolling start format with the expected water temperature to be in mid-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Athletes will then embark on a generally flat two-loop 56-mile (90-km) bike course that finishes at Mingzhu Lake Park. Finally, athletes will take on a three-loop 13.1-mile (21-km) run course circling the lake in Mingzhu Lake Park that features plenty of shade. The swim-to-bike and bike-to-run transitions are both lakeside in Mingzhu Lake Park, with the finish line located near the entrance to the park.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Shanghai Chongming triathlon will offer a total US$25,000 professional prize purse as well as 50 age-group qualifying slots for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, and a special 25 age-group qualifying slots for the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.
General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Shanghai Chongming, which is owned and operated by Wanda Sports China, will open on Friday, May 4, 2018.
