IRONMAN is adding two new events to its 2022 race calendar – with the IRONMAN Pays d’Aix-en-Provence triathlon in France and IRONMAN 70.3 Dresden triathlon in Germany.
The inaugural full-distance race in Aix-en-Provence will be held on May 22, 2022, joining the existing IRONMAN 70.3 Pays d’Aix-en-Provence. This was introduced as one of the first IRONMAN 70.3 events in Europe in 2011.
The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Dresden will take place on July 31, 2022.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add these two new events, each with its distinctive profile and challenges to our athletes,” said Thomas Veje Olsen, Head of Operations for The IRONMAN Group in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Pays d’Aix-en-Provence
With the most recent addition in Pays d’Aix-en-Provence, France now holds the distinction of being the only European country to feature three host cities with both an IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 event.
In addition to Aix-en-Provence, both Nice and Vichy also offer full-distance IRONMAN and half-distance IRONMAN 70.3 races.
The IRONMAN Pays d’Aix-en-Provence triathlon offers a swim in Lac de Peyrolles, located in the Northeast of Aix-en-Provence, followed by a bike course through the rolling hills of the Provence and Sainte-Victoire Mountain landscapes.
Athletes then tackle a four-loop run course that circles the city centre, into the Parc de la Torse and finishes in the heart of the city walls in front the fountain of La Rotonde.
Maryse Joissains, President of the Territorial Council of Pays d’Aix and Vice-President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, said “We hosted the first edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Pays d’Aix-en-Provence in 2011 with the dream of growing it into a major sporting event in Pays d’Aix.
“The additional IRONMAN event announced for 2022 is the reward for our support from the very beginning.”
The 2022 IRONMAN Pays d’Aix-en-Provence triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship set for October 8, 2022, in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. General registration will open on September 28, 2021 at 15:00 CEST.
Dresden
Almost exactly 1000 km (620 miles) to the northeast of Aix-en-Provence, the city of Dresden is home to more than half a million people.
Dresden presents a mix of meticulously reconstructed historical buildings, that rose from the ashes of World War II – and is considered a baroque masterpiece, earning it the alias ‘Elbflorence’.
Athletes will swim in the backwaters of the Elbe River, cycle through the undulating Elbland and visit the town of Meissen. The cycle course then leads onto the ‘Elberadweg’ – a flat and fast cycle track along the river.
The three-loop run course will see athletes treated to many of Dresden’s most famous landmarks along their way to the city centre – including, the Frauenkirche, Zwinger, Schlossplatz and Augustus bridge. The finish line will be located right in front of one of Europe’s most famous opera houses, the Semperoper.
“We can’t wait to welcome athletes to the beautiful city of Dresden,” said Dirk Hilbert, the city’s Mayor. “We are constantly looking to expand our athletic and cultural offerings and IRONMAN 70.3 Dresden will be a wonderful addition.”
The 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Dresden triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland. General registration will open on September 28, 2021 at 15:00 CEST.
www.ironman.com/im-aix-en-provence
www.ironman.com/im703-dresden
