Staffordshire County Council and IRONMAN® are pleased to announce that IRONMAN® triathlon will be coming to the heart of England . The inaugural IRONMAN® 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon will take place on 14th June 2015.
One of the flattest, fastest triathlons on the calendar, IRONMAN® 70.3 Staffordshire will consist of a 1.2-mile swim in Chasewater reservoir and a 56-mile bike course through the stunning countryside outside Lichfield, Burton-upon-Trent and across Cannock Chase area of outstanding natural beauty. The concluding 13.1 mile run will start and finish at the historic Shugborough country estate, the former ancestral home of Lord Lichfield, a renowned royal photographer and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Kevin Stewart, Managing Director IRONMAN UK & Ireland, commented, “We are extremely excited to be expanding our IRONMAN® 70.3 event calendar in response to demand from UK athletes. Our only other UK 70.3 event sold out last October, so we are sure that thousands of new athletes will be attracted to the sport by this new race. Both the venue of Shugborough and surrounding area of Staffordshire offer the perfect platform in every aspect for the event and we very much look forward to developing a long and successful partnership with Staffordshire County Council.”
Mike Lawrence, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities said: “Attracting a world-famous sporting event like IRONMAN® is great news for Staffordshire’s economy, its tourism industry and local people.
“Over the next three years it will bring thousands of athletes, supporters and spectators to the county looking for places to stay, eat and visit. At the same time it delivers an exciting opportunity to showcase the best of Staffordshire, enhancing our reputation as a sport, leisure and visitor destination, to both a national and international audience.
“We are already planning to use this annual influx of elite and amateurs athletes to work towards our ambition of an active Staffordshire, where all residents enjoy the health benefits of a more active lifestyle.”
2014 IRONMAN 70.3 Exmoor Champion Will Clarke said, “It’s great news to have another race on home soil as I’m currently only racing in the UK once a year. What’s more it’ll be amazing to have an IRONMAN race so central making it easier for my friends and family to be there to support. With IRONMAN now being so popular in the UK it’s fantastic to be able to offer a flat course that isn’t as tough as 70.3 Exmoor and I’m sure will be hugely popular.”
One of more than 70 events in the global IRONMAN® 70.3 Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon will have a $15,000 USD professional prize purse and will be a P-500 race. Additionally, the race will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots for athletes to qualify for the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship to be held in Europe for the first time, hosted by Zell am See, Austria.
Full details of the race will be available later this summer. For athletes wishing to register for IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire and/or to receive additional information, please go to www.ironman.com/staffordshire70.3
For more information on visiting Staffordshire go to www.staffordshire.gov.uk/ironman.