Over 30 professional male and female athletes from across the world will toe the start line at the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea in Wales this Sunday, 7 August.
Battling it out for a piece of the US$30,000 professional prize purse and title of IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea Champion, the line-up includes two-time Olympic Gold medallist Alistair Brownlee (GBR). Other high profile elite athletes include: 2021 IRONMAN World Championship runner-up Kat Matthews (GBR), and both male and female winners of the 2021 IRONMAN African Championship, Maurice Clavel (DEU) and Ruth Astle (GBR).
2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy Champion Yohan Le Berre (FRA) will add to the depth of the men’s field, alongside British competitors James Teagle (GBR) and Thomas Davis (GBR). Hoping to claim her first professional title on home soil, Lydia Dant (GBR) will also compete following her impressive win at IRONMAN Lanzarote in May.
The organising team noted that professional athletes will travel from all corners of the globe to compete in Swansea, with South Africa’s Jade Nicole Roberts (ZAF), Switzerland’s Melanie Baumann (CHE), France’s Cyril Viennot (FRA), and Australia’s Michael Boult (AUS) on the international athlete roster.
With over 2,000 age group athletes registered to race, including Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams, the sold-out middle-distance event will make for a big day of triathlon in South Wales.
Rebecca Sutherland, Race Director for IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, said “Welcoming such an impressive athlete field to a first-year event creates an added level of excitement for the region, for the sport, for the community, and for our age group athletes – many of whom will now be racing alongside their homegrown heroes.
“We look forward to creating a memorable experience for the thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of supporters heading to Swansea and Gower for the race this weekend.”
Starting with a 1.2-mile sea swim at the Prince of Wales Dock, professional and age-group athletes will undertake a 56-mile cycle along the waterfront of Swansea Bay, through the Mumbles, and across the scenic hills of the Gower (AONB) before heading back into the city.
Athletes will then move onto their final leg of the race with a 13.1-mile run down the flat and coastal Swansea Bay course, returning to Museum Gardens for a finish down the IRONMAN 70.3 red carpet.
Sam Brawn, Regional Director for UK & Ireland at The IRONMAN Group, said “Following the success of IRONMAN Wales in Pembrokeshire, it was only a matter of time before we introduced our first 70.3 distance to the region.
“Not only does South Wales have a flourishing triathlon community, evidenced by IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea selling out in a matter of days, but the support offered both by our host venues and the local communities is unparalleled. We’re excited to watch this race grow and develop over the coming years, as it will surely become a key fixture on the European calendar of events.”
