Ironman 70.3 Saipan set for Oct. 27

Japan’s Uda Hideki heads out of the Bird Island Lookout during the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Saipan held last March 11, 2017. (Saipan Tribune)

Ironman 70.3 Saipan will return this year and will be held on Oct. 27.

The event made its debut here last March 11, attracting 181 participants from 20 countries. Marianas Visitors Authority and Kiyokazu Fitness Club of Japan, organizers of the event, expect to have more participants this year.

“Both Japan and Korea have many triathlon races in the summer season of June, July, August and September, so it would be difficult for them to participate in Ironman 70.3 Saipan during the summer season. We believe October is the best,” said KFC president Kiyokazu Onishi. “We expect to get over 400 participants in Ironman 70.3 Saipan 2018.”

Online registration will open on Feb. 1, 2018 at www.ironman.com.

“Ironman is a world-renowned brand, of course, and we are expecting our Saipan event to attract more athletes in 2018 and beyond, especially as Ironman 70.3 Saipan is a qualifier for the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championship,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “The exposure value for The Marianas is tremendous with this new signature event.”

An Ironman 70.3 is one of a series of long distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. Ironman 70.3 features a 1.2-mile (1.9K) swim, a 56-mile (90K) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1K) run. Ironman 70.3 Saipan will offer 30 age group qualifying slots for the 2018 Ironman 70.3 World Championships that will take place in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The swim leg will be held in the crystal-clear waters of Pau Pau Beach, which will be closed to vehicle traffic for the day as it serves as both the start and finish lines for the event. The mainly flat bike course follows the western and northern coast of the island from the Bird Island Lookout to Pacific Islands Club Saipan. The run course features the quiet nature and historic and scenic sites of Marpi.

South Koreans Kwang Hoon Lee and Suk Hyeon Choi ruled the inaugural staging of Ironman 70.3 Saipan. Lee was the No. 1 overall finisher of this year’s race and clinched the men’s open division crown after clocking in at 4:46:19. Choi, on the other hand, timed in at 5:19:38 to take the women’s tiara.

Meanwhile, in addition to Ironman 70.3 Saipan, the MVA will still hold the Saipan Marathon 2018 on March 10. (Saipan Tribune)