Challenge and Ironman announce new Southern Hemisphere races
Two new events announced in South America and South Africa
Photo by:
Courtesy Challenge Family
As racing seems to be getting back on track around the world, both Ironman and Challenge Family have announced new races in the Southern Hemisphere. Challenge Family has just announced a new race in Puerto Varas, Chile, while Ironman has added a new 70.3 race in Nelson Mandela Bay to coincide with the full-distance Ironman African Championship held there.
Challenge Puerto Varas, a half-distance (113 km) race, will take in all the splendour “the city of roses” offers thanks to the “one-lap swim in the calm waters of Lake Llanquihue, dominated by the towering snow-capped peak of Osorno Volcano,” organizers said in a press release. That’s followed by a “one lap out-and-back 90km bike that heads along the southern shoreline of Lake Llanquihue … The run course is three loops, the first part of each loop goes along the lake before returning through the heritage area of downtown Puerto Varas, finishing in the heart of the town with a great atmosphere and lots of crowd support.”
The bike course features about 1,000 m of climbing, but despite that is said to be”a fast and rolling course and has spectacular mountain views.”
The inaugural race will take place on March 20, 2022. You can find out more here.
Ironman 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay
The new race announced by Ironman today will “take place on Sunday, April 3, 2022 alongside the Ironman African Championship.”
Nelson Mandela Bay, which hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2018, first hosted a 70.3 race in 2004 – the following year the race became a full-distance Ironman event. The scenic race course along the Indian Ocean begins with a 1.9 km swim at King’s Beach, the same site as the 70.3 worlds swim. The one-loop bike course along the coastline is followed by a two-loop, spectator-friendly run course along the beachfront. The race finishes at Hobie beach across from the famous pier.
The race will be an age-group only race and serve as a qualifier for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. You can find more information here.
