Home > News

Middle Eastern Races added to Ironman 70.3 Series

Credit: Creative Commons
Credit: Creative Commons

Ironman has added two Middle Eastern races to the popular 70.3 series — Bahrain and Dubai will be the next destinations to host half-Ironman races on December 5, 2015 and early 2016, respectively. Bahrain will be the host of the Ironman 70.3 Middle Eastern Championships.

Thomas Dieckhoff, CEO of Ironman Europe, Middle East, and Africa explains on the Ironman website that “Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and there has been an increasing number of athletes from the Middle East racing on the Ironman Europe tour consistently for the past few years. With a strong athlete base established, we are entering the Middle East with partners that are committed to delivering world-class events that elevate our sport in the Gulf region”.

Ironman CEO Andrew Messick says that “Besides having passionate triathletes, Bahrain and Dubai have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to host great events. We are looking forward to working with our partners to create some of the greatest races in the world — with hope of expanding in this region”.

Bahrain Financial Harbour – Photo: Abadi Moustapha via Flickr, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
Bahrain Financial Harbour – Photo: Abadi Moustapha via Flickr, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Bahrain’s Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship will feature a unique point-to-point course. Landmark attraction such as the Fateh Grand Mosquethe will be passed on the race and the end of the bike leg will take place on the race track of the Bahrain International Circuit.

Both Ironman 70.3 Bahrain and Ironman 70.3 Dubai will offer age-group qualification spots for the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Sunshine Coast, Australia.