Ironman 70.3 in Marbella.
Marbella is famous for many things. Lounging on the beach in the hot summer sun, fabulous Mediterranean cooking, top class luxury hotels and a scintillating nightlife being chief among them. A gruelling seventy mile-plus endurance race for super-fit athletes would be unlikely to be near the top of the list.
In April however, the Ironman 70.3 competition comes to Marbella.
So-called because the race takes place over a total distance of 70.3 miles, this is a triathlon to test the mettle of the fittest of sports enthusiasts.
The course comprises a 1,9 kilometre swim in the Mediterranean followed by a transition located in the Avenida de las Naciones Unidas. This is the beginning of a 90-kilometre bike ride that winds up into the Andalusian mountains, where riders cycle through the traditional white villages or ‘pueblos blancos’ for which this part of the world is famous. Traversing Monda, Coin and Cártama, athletes then find their way back to Marbella for the final part of the competition: a 21-kilometre run along the seafront promenade to the finish line at Puerto Banús.
The Ironman 70.3 is part of a global competition that offers top athletes from heats around the world the opportunity to compete in the World Championship, this year to be held in the Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. The top fifty competitors from the Marbella race will see themselves winging their way there to pit their strength against their strongest peers from around the world.
The international Ironman movement is gaining momentum, with full-length Ironmans, as well as the half Ironman (Ironman 70.3), Short Course Tri and even Ironkids events attracting a growing number of participants globally.
All available places are already sold out for the April 29th competition in Marbella, so sadly for those who were thinking of competing, it’s too late to register – but don’t worry, there will be plenty of space for spectators to cheer on the athletes!
