Taupo named as finalist in race to host 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings company, announced today that Perth, Western Australia and Taupō, New Zealand have been named finalists to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon which will rotate to the Oceania region in 2020. The 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will be a two-day event, similar to the upcoming 2018 edition - with the professional women and age-group women racing on one day and the professional men and age-group men racing on the other.

"Many fine cities were considered for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, however, Perth and Taupō separated themselves and we are excited about these two finalists," Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN. "The IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series has grown exponentially over the last several years, with the world championship featuring the best athletes from around the world. We feel that either one of these cities will create a world-class event by providing beautiful and challenging courses and outstanding hospitality for our athletes and their families and friends."

IRONMAN officials are visiting these two cities over the next week as the selection process continues to determine the host city for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

Perth, Western Australia - Perth, the capital of Western Australia, has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, making it an even more attractive destination. The city offers easy access to nature, with attractions such as the beautiful Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, the Swan River, stunning coastline, picturesque Swan Valley and Rockingham dolphins all within easy reach of the city. With all the amenities a modern, world-class city has to offer, Perth has new public space developments such as Elizabeth Quay and Yagan Square which are vibrant hubs offering a mix of food, drinks, events, entertainment and culture. With its sunny climate, city parks and inner-city river, Perth is ideally suited to hosting major sporting events and is one of only a few cities to have twice hosted the ITU Triathlon World Championships.

Taupo, New Zealand - The Great Lake Taupō District is rich in history and is one of the worlds most unique and picturesque areas. Located in the center of the North Island of New Zealand, it has a fascinating volcanic landscape and a cultural heritage dating back to the arrival of Māori in New Zealand in the 14ᵗʰ century. The Great Lake Taupō District is one of the most pure, beautiful and unspoiled areas in the country and encompasses the lakeside towns of Taupō, Turangi, Kinloch and Mangakino. As a popular year-round destination, it houses the largest freshwater crater lake in Australasia, geothermal attractions, and the mountains and ski areas of Tongariro National Park, a dual World Heritage National Park. Host of IRONMAN New Zealand since 1999, Taupō has become one of IRONMANs most iconic events.

The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship began an annual global rotation in 2014 in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. The 2015 race was held in Europe for the first time, in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria. In 2016 the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship shifted to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time - in Queensland, Australia. In 2017, the world championship returned to the United States with the host city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it first became a two-day event. On September 1 and 2, 2018, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will be in Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. Next year, the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will move to Europe and Nice, France. Prior to 2014, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship was held in Henderson, Nevada and Clearwater, Florida.

Qualification for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will begin in July of 2019. IRONMAN expects approximately 190,000 registered athletes from around the world to compete at any of the more than 120 events in the global IRONMAN 70.3 Series in locations such as Australia, Brazil, Africa, Malaysia and China to earn a coveted slot. In addition, each age-group winner at the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice will automatically qualify for the 2020 world championship.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Triathlon New Zealand