Triathlon Action Returning to Wilmington and Beaches

Travel industry partners in Wilmington and its island beaches will welcome athletes and visitors back for the return of the IRONMAN® 70.3® North Carolina triathlon Oct. 21. General registration for this popular event is sold out. For those still trying to gain entry into the 2023 event, a limited number of entries remain available through The IRONMAN Foundation by visiting www.IRONMAN.com/im703-north-carolina.

Approximately 3,200 athletes are expected to participate in the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina triathlon. The event is expected to bring more than 7,000 visitors, including athletes’ families and guests, along with spectators, vendors, volunteers and race organizers traveling for the event, to Wilmington and the island beaches.

“We are excited to announce that the IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina event has sold out,” said Scott Langen, Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group. “North Carolina has continued to be a sought-after destination on the IRONMAN 70.3 circuit and the demand from our athletes to come race in this beautiful region showcases how special this unique area is.”

“We are pleased to welcome the IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina race back to Wilmington,” states John Sneed, vice-president of sales & services for the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are excited to welcome athletes, IRONMAN staff, exhibitors, volunteers, spectators and their guests with warm hospitality. It is our hope that everyone will enjoy the race and have an opportunity to also experience our great restaurants, attractions and tours during their visit.”

Athletes participating in the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina triathlon will be treated to an IRONMAN 70.3 racing tour of the Wilmington area, beginning at Wrightsville Beach and ending along Wilmington’s riverfront. Athletes will kick off their day by taking on the point-to-point rolling start 1.2-mile ROKA swim course, voted Best Swim Course in the 2022 Athlete’s Choice Awards, in a channel connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Wrightsville Beach. An incoming tide in the channel will provide fast splits for the swim course. The flat and picturesque 56-mile bike course will take athletes from the beach to the countryside along rural country roads, traversing two counties. Riders will cross the Cape Fear River before their return to historic downtown Wilmington. The final leg of the course will bring runners along 13.1 miles of spectator-friendly areas. Athletes can expect to experience the charming Greenfield Lake area shaded by old oak trees and Spanish moss before beginning their return to a thrilling and supportive finish line in downtown Wilmington.

The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina triathlon offers 40 age group qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon on Dec. 14 & 15, 2024, taking place Taupo, New Zealand.

The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority (TDA), d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, markets and develops the county and its communities’ leisure and group travel experiences for economic growth and quality of place. Visit us online at www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com..View our Visitors Guide online.

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