More than 3,000 athletes from all over the world will descend on Mooloolaba, in Australia’s Sunshine Coast, bringing with them ‘on average four supporters, filling the hotels and cafes and providing a huge boost to the local economy.’
With athletes hailing from more than 80 countries from regions around the world, Asia-Pacific leads the way with 35% of the athletes registered to race in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. North America and Europe each account for 26%, while South America represents 8% of the field.
Australia is the most represented nation with 838 registered competitors, followed by the United States (647), Great Britain (165) and Germany (163). Other athletes from countries as far as Seychelles, Morocco Cote d’Ivoire and Spain are traveling around the globe for their shot at the title.
On 4 September 2016, the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, will host the first ever IRONMAN World Championship held in the southern hemisphere. Back in May 2013, IRONMAN brand owner World Triathlon Corp (WTC) confirmed that, starting in 2014, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon will rotate globally among different regions on an annual basis. The 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship took place in Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, on 7 September 2014; and the 2015 event was hosted in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria.
“Our key focus is to connect with the athletes, welcome them to the Sunshine Coast and entice them to stay and explore all that Queensland has to offer as one of the world’s best holiday destinations,” said David Beeche, Oceania Managing Director for IRONMAN. “The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will inject more than AU$15 million into the Queensland economy and will be a boom for tourism business as it will generate more than 35,000 visitor nights.”
IRONMAN athletes will spend on average five nights in Mooloolaba, bringing with them more than 12,000 family and friends on the trip Down Under. The Mantra hotel group, which is the Official Host Accommodation Provider for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, is just one of many businesses aiming to see a direct impact from the event as they have nearly reached capacity for race weekend.
“Events such as the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship play a crucial role in the Sunshine Coast tourism industry,” Mantra Group Chief Executive Officer Bob East said. “This year’s event has directly contributed to the significant boost in occupancy levels at Mantra Group’s three Mooloolaba resorts over the weekend. All three resorts are nearing capacity.”
As the Official Host Accommodation Provider, The Mantra group will also be offering a number of special services to cater to the influx of triathletes who will be enjoying the waterfront location:
- Mantra Mooloolaba Beach’s (event sponsor) room keys will feature IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship branding; its lobby will feature triathlon-specific displays, and ‘they’ll literally be rolling out the welcome mat for athletes with IRONMAN branded mats.’
- Team members are getting into the spirit of the event with IRONMAN attire alongside their uniforms.
- The resorts will provide welcome letters for competitors that will highlight the best attractions and activities in the region.
- Athletes and spectators are also encouraged to share their IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship photos for the chance to win a Mantra accommodation voucher by following @Mantrahotels and #MantraIM703WC.
Local businesses, such as bike store Cyclezone are also set to benefit, and have been stocking up on key items.
“We have certainly been busy in the lead up to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship with an increase in rental bikes being secured for the athletes arriving on the Coast in the coming weeks,” Owner John Carey said.
“We’ve already noticed an increase of triathlon customers coming into the shop, having bikes serviced in preparation for the championship race. We are certainly anticipating things will only get busier closer to the event. The range of tri bikes we’re renting is extensive.”
“We are looking forward to a great event which will certainly be beneficial for the Sunshine Coast as well as the sport of triathlon.”
2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia:
- Mooloolaba is the fifth city in history to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship following Clearwater, Florida (USA) (2006-2009), Henderson, Nevada (USA) (2010-2013), Mont-Tremblant, Quebec (CAN) (2014), and Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand (AUT) (2015)
- Five countries are sending athletes to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship for the first time, India, Lithuania, Mauritius, El Salvador, and Seychelles
- 66% of registered participants (2,152 athletes) are male
- 345 of registered participants (1,116 athletes) are female
- 42 is the average age of male registrants and 40 is the average age of female registrants
- More than 80 race participants, or approximately 3% of the total field, are professional athletes
- 1,207 competitors representing 468 different TriClubs from around the world are racing this year and total over 37.7 percent of the field
- Garth Barfoot (Auckland, New Zealand) is the oldest participant at 80, while Connor Mckay (Queensland, Australia) is the youngest at 19
- 13 athletes will be celebrating their birthday on race day
- 43 of the 50 US states are accounted for, with the greatest number coming from California (177), Texas (73), Florida (71), Washington (41) and New York (41)
- More than 130,000 registered athletes compete in IRONMAN 70.3 races each year, representing over 90 countries
- Since the series began in 2006, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship has been controlled by Australia (five champions), Germany (five champions) and Great Britain (three champions).
- The United States has had two winners along with Switzerland, while Canada, New Zealand and Spain each has one winner
- In 2015, Jan Frodeno regained Germany’s hold on the men’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship crown as they have now won five of 10 titles. Meanwhile in the women’s field Daniela Ryf of Switzerland earned her second IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title in as many years, becoming the first female to win back-to-back championships
- Over 1,000 volunteers will help make the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship a success
“The Sunshine Coast and Queensland region is regarded as one of the world’s leading triathlon centres, so it is fitting that this picturesque setting will play host to the first IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Australia,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer for IRONMAN. “With over 3,000 registered competitors, this will mark the largest field in the history of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, all of whom will be welcomed by the stunning coastline landscape and sincere hospitality from the local population.”
