Ironman world championship events postponed to next year

THE Ironman and Ironman 70.3 world championship events scheduled for Hawaii and New Zealand later this year, have been postponed to next year.

The Ironman World Championships will now take place on 6 February, the month 40 years ago when it first took place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

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Organisers are still negotiating with relevant authorities to secure a suitable date for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in New Zealand.

The postponement decisions were made after close monitoring of border and travel restrictions and other Covid-19 issues within the two host countries.

The coronavirus crisis has also impacted qualifying events around the world, which would have impeded the ability of producing and hosting truly competitive events at short notice.

Based on the circumstances, and allowing athletes and organisers sufficient preparation time, it was clear that the events could not proceed as planned in October and November respectively.

Every year more than 94 000 athletes vie for entry to the Ironman World Championship, with approximately 2 500 athletes making it to the starting line.

Last year, the event generated $72-million according to Markrich Research.

In addition to tourism, Ironman and the Ironman Foundation have raised $1.9-million for grant funding to the Kailua-Kona region since the inception of the event.

The Ironman 70.3 World Championship has grown in stature and popularity since it’s inception in 2006, and is now the culmination of more than 100 pre-championship events worldwide.

Every year, more than 200 000 athletes compete for a place among the world’s best, with more than 5 000 athletes ultimately making it to the two-day finals event.

Based on past economic impact studies, the next championship is expected to generate 20 million New Zealand dollars for the host city and region.

Visit the websites www.ironman.com/im-world-championship and www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship websites for further updates.

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