IRONMAN announced today that it will add a brand-new event to its 2022 global race calendar with the IRONMAN® 70.3® Mossel Bay triathlon in South Africa. The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay triathlon will take place on Sunday, November 6, 2022 with general registration opening on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
“We are excited about expanding our South Africa racing options into the Western Cape next year with the addition of an IRONMAN 70.3 race in Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay is a city that carries rich history and a beautiful tourist destination, catering to both internationals and locals alike,” said Keith Bowler, Managing Director of IRONMAN South Africa. “Mossel Bay provides ease of access for all travelers, with it only being a few minutes away from the George Airport; and only a four-hour drive from the city of Cape Town.”
Athletes and spectators can expect a fantastic race course in a race destination set on South Africa’s ever popular Garden Route. Offering the scenic beauty of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains, azure blue sea, rolling green hills and pastures, rich agriculture, and culture, athletes and their family and friends can also enjoy sights of fynbos, aloes, dolphins and whales. Post-race activities include enjoying the Mossel Bay Zipline, the largest over the ocean zipline in the world, spanning approximately 1 100 metres in length and reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour. With plenty of other activities to do such as sky diving and various boat adventures, this is a place one can only describe as paradise – a tourists dream.
"It is our honour and privilege to be associated with other successful organisations. Seeing that Mossel Bay is the best managed municipality in South Africa and IRONMAN is considered one of the most famous sporting brands in the world, we are excited about the economic injection for the town and global media exposure that the partnership will bring,” stated Alderman Dirk Kotze, Acting Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay.
Athletes participating in IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay will take on a 1.9km (1.2-mile) swim beginning opposite the iconic Santos Beach Pavilion and exiting the water at Santos Bay at De Bakke. From here, athletes head into Transition before taking on a one-loop 90km (56-mile) bike course. Athletes will cycle out and back on George Road, then Louis Fourie Road toward Albertina, onto the N2, before reaching the turnaround at Gouritz River valley just short of Herbertsdale on the R327. From here they will return to Mossel Bay as they prepare for Transition in De Bakke.
Lastly, athletes will take on a 21.1km (13.1-mile) two and a half loop run course which takes them past the harbour, through the historic Central Mossel Bay, the Dias Museum Complex, and The Point where the finish line beckons below the Cape St Blaize lighthouse.
IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay will be a professional and age-group race and will offer qualifying slots to the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place in Lahti, Finland on August 26 – 27, 2023.
“We are excited to welcome Mossel Bay Municipality to the IRONMAN family as partners. Our goal was to identify a city in South Africa that could host an event and would bring a fresh offering while providing athletes with a world-class experience, and we have found that in Mossel Bay. We look forward to racing in this incredible landscape and city,” concluded Thomas Veje Olsen, Head of Operations for The IRONMAN Group in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
For more information on IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-mossel-bay or direct inquiries to mediasa@ironman.com.
For more information on the IRONMAN® brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
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