PANJIM: Triathletes from 30 countries, some as far-flung as Argentina, Australia and US, will join a large number of Indian counterparts in the country's biggest and truly international endurance race, the IRONMAN 70.3 India, being held in Goa on October 8.
The race kicks off with a 1.9 km swim off Miramar beach in Goa, followed by a demanding 90 km bicycle ride and culminating with a half-marathon run covering 21.1 km. Each leg has its individual cut-off timings and athletes must surpass these thresholds in all three sections to earn the coveted IRONMAN 70.3 India ‘finisher’ title and medal.
The route selected by the organisers takes participants through Panaji including the Ribandar causeway, Mandovi river and popular Miramar beach.
The triathlon event has attracted the most participation by athletes from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Haryana, among several other Indian states and participants from abroad.
The latest edition of IRONMAN 70.3 India will pay homage to Goan icon and Padma Vibhushan awardee, the late Mario Miranda, with the latter’s trademark artwork featuring on the winners’ medals, which were unveiled on Thursday at the hands of Jeff Edwards, CEO and MD of IRONMAN Asia, Deepak Raj, race director and franchise owner of the IRONMAN brand in India and Chief Executive Officer of Yoska and V.S Ganeshan, Director Marketing, Herbalife.
The official jersey for the race, which was also unveiled at the event, has been styled using the ancient Kaavi art motifs, which are indigenous to the region. Kaavi art, an indigenous art from the Konkan region, draws inspiration from nature.
Goa's state capital, Panaji, will host the international endurance race for the third time. The event will be flagged off at Miramar beach in the presence of athletes and top government officials. The race’s 30 top finishers will qualify to compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, slated to take place in New Zealand.
In addition to the Indian contingent, athletes from all six continents – North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia and Asia – have registered to participate in this prestigious event, showcasing its international acclaim. Since its inception, athletes from 50 countries have participated in the IRONMAN 70.3 India event in Goa. The Goa government’s Tourism Department has partnered with IRONMAN 70.3 India for the October 8 event.