General entry for the second running of the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship is now open, with a limited number of entry spots available for competitors worldwide.
According to World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), the 2010 event instantly became an iconic race on the IM 70.3 circuit. Athletes enjoyed the challenge of the world famous Laguna Phuket Triathlon course, which was extended to the Ironman 70.3 distance.
The swim course comprises two bodies of water and wetsuits are not allowed. Starting on the beach between the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket hotel and Laguna Beach Resort near the Laguna Beach Resort Marine Centre, competitors swim 1.28K in the sea before sprinting 100m across the beach to swim the last 620m in a tropical lagoon finishing at the Laguna Beach Resort Y-junction.
The bike course differs from the Laguna Phuket Triathlon by taking competitors towards the township of Thalang, located on the main north-south highway 402, which cyclists will cross by dismounting to traverse a ramp and pedestrian bridge. The course includes some short, but very steep, hilly sections on a quiet coastal road in the Island’s north east.
The run course is flat and leads runners north through the Laguna Phuket resort complex and onto the award-winning Laguna Phuket Golf Course, along the Andaman Sea coastline before looping back to finish at the Laguna Beach Resort Y-junction.
This year, 45 qualifying slots are on offer to the 2012 Ironman World Championship 70.3, held in Lake Las Vegas, NV on Sunday 9 September 2012.
