TRIATHLON

New IRONMAN 70.3 Event on IRONMAN NZ Festival Schedule

By Sports Media NZ

IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holding company, announced today its expansion in New Zealand with the addition of a second IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon in 2017.  The new Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand will be staged alongside the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand event that will take place in Taupo on 4 March 2017.

The existing IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo remains in its current timeframe, scheduled for Saturday 9 December 2017, bringing the total number of IRONMAN events in New Zealand to three:

• Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand – March 4, 2017
• Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand – March 4, 2017 (NEW)
• Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo – December 9, 2017

“We are very excited to offer this new event, creating a full festival for triathletes of all levels,” said Dave Beeche, Managing Director of IRONMAN Oceania. “The addition of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand enhances what is already a must-do event weekend for athletes. This concept has been very successful in Australia and we believe it will be a terrific new addition to Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand.”

IRONMAN New Zealand, the first IRONMAN outside of North America, has always attracted a strong international athlete base. In 2016, athletes from 50 nations were represented, many of which came with a support team of friends and family.
 

“Race week in Taupō is an amazing experience and the town absolutely buzzes. Over the past 19 years, this event has attracted over 25,000 participants from 60 countries. Taupō is an idyllic host venue for the sport of IRONMAN; it is a renowned and beautiful tourism destination, large enough to host international events yet small enough for the athletes and community to come together as one”, said Beeche.

Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said the District was incredibly proud to be home to the newest IRONMAN 70.3 in New Zealand: "The introduction of an IRONMAN 70.3 event will allow us to showcase our beautiful district to an even wider audience, and we look forward to rolling the welcome mat out for those taking part both in March and the years to come.”

The Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots for the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place on September 9 and 10 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. General registration will open in January; entries will be limited and are expected to reach capacity quickly.

Registration for Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand on Saturday 4 March 2017 is now open. For further details visit www.ironmannewzealand.com. 

Registration for Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IRONMAN 70.3 Taupō on Saturday 9 December 2017 will open in January. For further details visit www.ironmantaupo.com.