Buoyed up by the success of IRONMAN Kalmar in Sweden – the first full distance M-Dot race in Scandinavia – IRONMAN has now unveiled the new IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping triathlon. The inaugural IM 70.3 race will take place on 10 July 2016.
IRONMAN notes that Sweden’s crystal clear lakes, spacious bike courses and picturesque towns make the Scandinavian country of 9.8 million one of Europe’s up and coming triathlon destinations.
Introduced in 2012 in southeast Sweden, IRONMAN Kalmar has sold out every year and gained a reputation to boast ‘one of the best finish lines in the world with more than 50,000 fans lining the streets.’
“Sweden has been a complete success story for IRONMAN,” said Thomas Dieckhoff, CEO IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa. “There was a clear demand for more races. We have seen thousands of athletes fulfill their dream of becoming an IRONMAN in Kalmar and are thrilled to now offer an IRONMAN 70.3 to this booming triathlon community.”
General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping will open on 30 September 2015. Athletes racing in the 2015 IRONMAN Kalmar will receive priority registration from 28-10 September.
“We set out to bring IRONMAN to Jönköping a few years ago and are incredibly proud that we have accomplished our goal. We look forward to creating an incredible triathlon which will complement IRONMAN Kalmar,” added Race Director Christian Kirchberger.
IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping will feature a 1.9K (1.2 mile) swim course in Lake Vättern, the sixth largest by surface area in Europe. The swim course finishes in the city centre. Athletes will then embark on a one-loop 90.1K (56 mile) bike ride through the rolling hills of the province of Småland, before coming to transition in the centrally located Rådhusparken (City Hall Square). The run course leads through the city of Jönköping and athletes will finish their race near transition at Rådhusparken.
IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping will be the fourth IRONMAN 70.3 race in Scandinavia after IRONMAN 70.3 Aarhus (Denmark), IRONMAN 70.3 Haugesund (Norway) and IRONMAN 70.3 Kronborg (Denmark).
The race will offer 30 qualifying slots for the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
