IRONMAN Brings World Class Triathlon Racing to the Land of the Pyramids with new IRONMAN 70.3 Egypt
December 8, 2020
- Inaugural race to be held on November 19, 2021 - Event joins IRONMAN 70.3 Durban, IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa in Buffalo City and IRONMAN 70.3 Marrakech as the fourth IRONMAN 70.3 race on African soil
HURGHADA / LONDON / TAMPA (December 8, 2020) – The Red Sea town of Hurghada has long been a magical place for tourists and now, it will extend its fame to a new group of guests: triathletes. Enter IRONMAN®70.3® Egypt on November 19, 2021, the first-ever IRONMAN 70.3 event in the land of the pyramids and only the fourth on African soil.
“Egypt is a country full of history and today, we are celebrating a truly historical event. Over the years, Hurghada has developed from a small fisherman’s village into a world-famous touristic hotspot and we feel proud and honored to bring IRONMAN racing to this wonderful location,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa for The IRONMAN Group.
Founded in the early 20th century Hurghada offers direct access to the Red Sea and mild temperatures ranging from 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) to 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) in the race month of November.
Athletes will start their race with a one-loop 1,9 km (1.2-mile) swim in Sahel Hasheesh Bay, known for its beautiful sandy beaches and also renowned among diving and snorkeling enthusiast for its beautiful islands and stunning coral reefs.
After transitioning onto their bikes, participants will tackle a flat and fast one-loop 90 km (56-mile) bike course that leads through the desert hinterland of Hurghada with a beautiful overview of the Red Sea mountain range. Finally, athletes get to enjoy a flat two-loop 21,1 km (13.1-mile) run course that takes them through the tourism hotspots of Sahel Hasheesh Bay.
“We are thrilled to bring the first IRONMAN 70.3 to Hurghada and Egypt. With its easy accessibility through our international airport and a perfect touristic infrastructure Hurghada and Sahel Hasheesh Bay are made for international sports events and we are looking forward to soon treating athletes from all over the world to Egyptian hospitality,” said race organizer Hassan Khalifa.
The 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Egypt will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots to the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on December 10-11, 2022 in Taupō, New Zealand. General registration for the event will open on January 14, 2021 at 2 pm CET.
For more information and registration, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-egypt. Athlete inquiries can be directed to egypt70.3@ironman.com.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
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About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN®70.3® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf®, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance (www.advance.com), a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Advance
Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.