The much awaited Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship will be flagged off today at 7am near the Four Seasons Hotel.
It will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, and coincides with Bahrain National Day celebrations and anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne.
More than 1,200 athletes are set to compete in what is predicted to be a thrilling three-stage race. Among the participants are a few world champion athletes.
Covering a total distance of 70.3 miles, the event will feature three stages; a 1.9km swimming race, followed by a 90km cycling contest and a 21.1km running competition.
The swimming-cycling transition area will open at 5:30am and close at 6:45am.
The event was officially inaugurated by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, chairman of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of Bahrain Olympic Committee on Thursday.
Shaikh Nasser and Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, first deputy president of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of Bahrain Athletics Association, both keen triathletes themselves, will be among the participants.
To mark the beginning of the festivities, Ironkids and Irongirl contests were held yesterday at Bahrain International Circuit.
Hundreds of children of all ages and nationalities took part in the event which was a great success.
Bahrain will be hosting this Ironman event for the third time in a row.
Participating athletes received their equipment yesterday while many took part in swimming practice sessions as well.
Meanwhile, the “Expo” continued at the BIC where leading companies are displaying their latest triathlon equipments.
The “Expo” will be open throughout the championship and provides a wonderful opportunity to sports enthusiasts and athletes to shop for top brands.