The Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns event, globally renowned as one of the most scenic courses in the IRONMAN calendar, has just raised the bar to a whole new level with the news of a range of changes to the 2014 event course.
Over 3200 registered athletes will now start their day beneath the stunning palm fringed beaches of Palm Cove with a 3.8km swim in a truly stunning tropical setting. After navigating the new swim, athletes will experience the magnificent views over a two lap, 180km cycle along the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas and back, affording athletes the opportunity to spend even more time on the world’s most picturesque IRONMAN cycle leg. The ride will wind back into the heart of Cairns for the bike to run transition in the Cairns festival village, where athletes will then embark on a three lap, 42.2km marathon where they will enjoy the encouragement and cheers from the city and its supporters.
“It is extremely exciting to bring this new course to the athletes and community of Cairns,” said Geoff Meyer, CEO of IRONMAN Asia-Pacific. “A swim at Palm Cove was always on our radar due to the sheer beauty of the setting and the enthusiasm of the community from day one. We have been closely assessing our athlete feedback and the local community input, and it just makes sense to make this happen right now “
“The new course works on a range of levels for all the key event partners. The athlete satisfaction with the swim leg will be greatly enhanced along with more crowd interaction and atmosphere for the entire run through the Cairns City. The changes will also provide a more sustainable platform for the continued rapid growth of the event by reducing traffic management and tidal flow considerations in future years ”
The course changes are predicted to be very well received by the athletes, with all three legs of the race now providing exceptional experiences. A stunning tropical swim, a breathtaking ride and the amazing atmosphere of Cairns City during the run and the weeklong adventure festival. It is hoped that these changes will further build on the strong global popularity of this event and particularly those in key international markets of Asia.
The organising committee would like to extend sincere thanks to all existing partners and particularly the Cairns Regional Council for support and endorsement of these changes. Thanks also and a warm welcome the key new partners of Palm Cove including the Argentea Village residential development, who will be host venue for the swim to cycle transition.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the event was a highlight on the growing Cairns sporting calendar and the new route would further enhance an already spectacular event.
“Cairns Regional Council is proud to support IRONMAN Cairns and the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival, which has grown to become one of the region’s largest annual events,” Cr Manning said.
“Our coastline has many stunning features and one of those is Palm Cove – it will be an ideal location to fire the starting gun on this true test of fitness and endurance.”
John Felan, newly elected Chair of Tourism Palm Cove said “This is thrilling news for the tourism industry of Palm Cove and we are very confident it will also thrill the IRONMAN athletes. We may be a little parochial, but we can’t think of a better place for a swim, and are glad that the opportunity has come our way. Palm Cove has been a key location for athletes in their pre and post-race plans over the last 4 years, and to now be incorporated into the course on race day is very exciting””
The announcement of the course changes comes on the back of a range of exciting recent developments for the event including;
- Official announcement of naming rights partnership for the Flight Centre Active Travel IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns (for further information visit www.ironman.com/cairns70.3).
- Announcement of the COUCH Charity partnership associated with the Flight Centre Active Travel IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns (NB charity slots still remain – contact http://www.couch.org.au/marquee-events-for-2014/).
- Official announcement of the appointment of professional athletes, Courtney Atkinson and Liz Blatchford, as event ambassadors.
Changes to the course will be communicated in detail to the registered athletes and to the global triathlon community this week, and with only 50 slots remaining for the 2014 event, it is anticipated to sell out shortly.
For locals, visitors and IRONMAN support crew wishing to be a part of the action of the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival, there are events for people of all ages and abilities including; Coral Coast Triathlon, RRR Mountain Bike Challenge, Hekili Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge, Quicksilver Reef Swim – Green Island, The Cairns Post Run for Cairns and McDonalds IRONKIDS Cairns – a triathlon designed especially for kids.
Entries for all festival events are available at www.cairnsadventurefestival.com.au.
For further event information visit www.ironmancairns.com.
The Cairns Airport Adventure Festival, incorporating the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns, will be held from Sunday, June 1 – Monday, June 9, 2014.