BUSSELTON will now host three IRONMAN events each year, after it was announced the IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia triathlon would be coming to the region.
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The event will take place alongside the SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australian triathlon in Busselton on December 4.
IRONMAN Oceania managing director Dave Beeche said the SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australia was an iconic event, with one of the most popular swims on the IRONMAN circuit.
“We are delighted to add an IRONMAN 70.3 race to the weekend’s events, which allows us to give more of our athletes the chance to experience this stunning course,” he said.
“The Busselton Jetty is such an integral part of SunSmart IRONMAN Western Australia and having it provide such a world class start line for the IRONMAN 70.3 event will make this race a fast favourite amongst our athletes as well.”
The two summer events will be followed by the 16th Busselton Festival of Triathlon’s IRONMAN 70.3 Busselton, which runs from May 6-7, 2017.
“The addition of an IRONMAN 70.3 distance event to IRONMAN Western Australia further positions Busselton as the home of long course racing in WA and provides another opportunity for athletes and their supporters to experience everything great that Busselton and the SouthWest has to offer,” Triathlon WA executive director Peter Minchin.
City of Busselton Community and Commercial Services director Naomi Searle said the new half Ironman event would bring additional athletes and spectators to the region, which would be great for the local economy.
“It’s a really exciting prospect,” she said.
“Running the two events concurrently is working well in other locations such as Cairns and Port Macquarie and we feel confident it will be popular here in Busselton.”
“It will also make for an amazing spectator and participant experience.”
Ms Searle said to ensure regional sustainability the City had worked very hard to position itself as the Events Capital of WA .
“Events of this size, with this sort of national and international profile are very important to maintaining that mantle,” she said.
“All three Ironman events provide the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our City as a great place to live, invest and visit.
“Along with significant returns to the economy, these long race events bring vibrancy and atmosphere and are a true celebration of our healthy outdoor lifestyle.”
Registrations for the December IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia will be open from July 14, and registrations for the May IRONMAN 70.3 Busselton will open from October 18.
For more details visit busseltonfestivaloftriathlon.com.au or ironman.com.
