Swim in the Firth of Forth, cycle through the Lothians, and sprint to the finishing line in Edinburgh’s spectacular Holyrood Park.
Looking for a Christmas gift for yourself, or extra motivation for those New Year's training resolutions? The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh, Scotland, set to take place on Sunday July 2nd, 2017, opens for registration on Monday December 19, 2016 and is shaping up to be a spectacular addition to the UK race circuit.
With the addition of this new race in Scotland, the UK and Ireland IRONMAN calendar now hosts eight events—the most of any country in Europe, including full-distance events in Bolton and Wales, and half-distance events in Bolton, Staffordshire, Dublin, and Weymouth.
"The UK has seen a perpetual growth in athlete participation and there is clear demand for more races," said Kevin Stewart, Regional Director Northern Europe at IRONMAN. Some 2,000 athletes are anticipated to head to Edinburgh, the country’s capital, and the surrounding East Lothian and Midlothian countryside for this inaugural race.
Dating back thousands of years and home to the many iconic historic sites including the Palace of Holyrood house, Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh is one of the world’s most beautiful and compelling cities. The area is rich in history and combines a cosmopolitan capital city with lush countryside and attractive coastline to provide a memorable and accessible destination for athletes and their supporters. Located on the South East coast of Scotland, Edinburgh is served directly by multiple airlines from over 100 destinations, as well as fast and direct train lines from London and cities across the UK and Scotland.
IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh will start at the historic Gosford House with a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) sea swim from Gosford Sands on the Firth of Forth. Upon exiting the swim, athletes will then embark on a one-loop 56 mile (90.1km) bike ride on closed roads through the rolling countryside of East Lothian, Midlothian, through the outskirts of the city centre of Edinburgh and Dalkeith country park.
After a transition at the spectacular setting of Arthur’s Seat—a dormant volcano—in Holyrood Park, athletes will head off on a beautiful multi-lap 13.1 mile (21.2km) run within Holyrood Park before crossing the finish line.
Scotland’s multiple IRONMAN winner Fraser Cartmell is excited about the upcoming race: "Having lived and trained in Scotland throughout my career and having to always travel to compete in IRONMAN events, I was delighted to hear that IRONMAN is coming to Edinburgh—a city that I am extremely fond of, where I studied at University and have spent so much time...I cannot wait to stand on the start line."
Join him and register soon!
IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh will offer a $25,000 USD professional prize purse and 35 age group qualifying slots for the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Learn more at Ironman.com/edinburgh70.3.