Qatar Airways Becomes the Official Airline Partner of the Global IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Series

August 22, 2022

Qatar Airways also to be title partner of IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast, IRONMAN Maryland, IRONMAN 70.3 Washington, and IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney triathlons in 2022; Qatar Tourism joins as an Official Partner of IRONMAN

DOHA, Qatar / TAMPA, Fla / LONDON, UK (August 22, 2022)/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Qatar Airways and IRONMAN have entered a long-term global partnership, making Qatar Airways the Official Airline Partner of the Global IRONMAN^® Series and IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Series through the 2025 season. In addition, Qatar Airways will be the title partner of the 2022 editions of IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast, IRONMAN Maryland, IRONMAN 70.3 Washington, and IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney triathlons and will connect athletes, officials, and fans via Brisbane Airport, Dulles International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and Sydney Airport, respectively. Qatar Tourism will also be promoted to athletes and spectators across the global IRONMAN series as part of the partnership.

As part of the partnership, athletes travelling to IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events using Qatar Airways will have access to a range of benefits, such as promotional fares for themselves and family members, and for those travelling to or via Qatar, additional special offers to Doha attractions are also included. Furthermore, athletes who have completed an IRONMAN or an IRONMAN 70.3 event within the last 12 months will also be eligible to other unique benefits. To learn more about the benefits, please visit: qatarairways.com/IRONMAN.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Qatar Tourism Chairman, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our partnership with The IRONMAN Group is a natural fit for our brand, where human endeavour proves that anything is possible. We admire the relentless effort and dedication of the athletes, attributes we strive to reflect in the way we serve our customers.  

H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker added: “IRONMAN races are hosted in different cities across the world, making our global network the perfect medium through which to connect endurance sports enthusiasts, athletes, supporters, and officials. 

“Providing our athletes with an unmatched race experience is at the core of what we do, so we’re thrilled to partner with an airline that reflects our customer centric approach and is committed to the highest standards in everything they do,” said Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “Our IRONMAN events have long brought together different communities and cultures through their love of endurance sport, so how better to continue doing this than with the world’s fastest growing airline. This is the beginning of an exciting partnership for both of us, our athletes, and future athletes and supporters who we hope to welcome at an event in the near future.”

The partnership was marked on August 21, 2022 at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum in Doha, Qatar. Along with leadership from both organisations, Lulwa Al Marri – the first Qatari female athlete to participate in an IRONMAN triathlon was in attendance.

Qatar Airways’ goal is to bring communities together through sport. Announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, it has an extensive global sports partnership portfolio. The partnership with IRONMAN will further elevate Qatar Airways’ extensive sports portfolio supported by the World’s Best Airline, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Bayern München, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, and additional partnerships across multiple sports disciplines such as equestrianism, kitesurfing, padel and tennis. With more travel routes being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to connect to a destination of their choice.

Since its debut in 1978, IRONMAN events have become globally known for being the world’s most challenging single-day sporting competitions. IRONMAN triathlons are a series of full-distance races composed of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2-mile run, in that order. Similar to the IRONMAN triathlons, the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons maintain the structure and format of the original triathlon series but with half of each distance, featuring a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run.

For more information on Qatar Airways, visit www.qatarairways.com. For more information on Qatar Tourism, visit www.visitqatar.qa. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.

Qatar Airways media-related inquiries may be directed to: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa. Qatar Tourism media-related inquiries may be directed to pressoffice@visitqatar.qa. IROMAN media-related inquires may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021. For more information, visit https://www.qatarairways.com/en/about-qatar-airways.html.

About Qatar Tourism

Qatar Tourism is the official government body responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in Qatar, facilitating the sector’s exponential growth. Qatar is a destination where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in arts, culture, sports, and adventure, catering to family and business visitors, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism seeks to boost the entire tourism value chain, grow local and international visitor demand, attract inward investment, and drive a multiplier effect across the domestic economy. The Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030 sets an ambitious target to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030, making Qatar the fastest growing destination in the Middle East. For more information, visit visitqatar.com.

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^® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, 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. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. 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, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

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, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.