The Red Sea town of Hurghada has long been a magical place for tourists and now, it will extend its fame to a new group of guests: triathletes. Enter IRONMAN® 70.3® Egypt on November 19, 2021, the first-ever IRONMAN 70.3 event in the land of the pyramids and only the fourth on African soil.
“Egypt is a country full of history and today, we are celebrating a truly historical event. Over the years, Hurghada has developed from a small fisherman’s village into a world-famous touristic hotspot and we feel proud and honored to bring IRONMAN racing to this wonderful location,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa for The IRONMAN Group.
Founded in the early 20th century Hurghada offers direct access to the Red Sea and mild temperatures ranging from 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) to 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) in the race month of November.
Athletes will start their race with a one-loop 1,9 km (1.2-mile) swim in Sahel Hasheesh Bay, known for its beautiful sandy beaches and also renowned among diving and snorkeling enthusiast for its beautiful islands and stunning coral reefs.
After transitioning onto their bikes, participants will tackle a flat and fast one-loop 90 km (56-mile) bike course that leads through the desert hinterland of Hurghada with a beautiful overview of the Red Sea mountain range. Finally, athletes get to enjoy a flat two-loop 21,1 km (13.1-mile) run course that takes them through the tourism hotspots of Sahel Hasheesh Bay.
“We are thrilled to bring the first IRONMAN 70.3 to Hurghada and Egypt. With its easy accessibility through our international airport and a perfect touristic infrastructure Hurghada and Sahel Hasheesh Bay are made for international sports events and we are looking forward to soon treating athletes from all over the world to Egyptian hospitality,” said race organizer Hassan Khalifa.
The 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Egypt will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots to the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on December 10-11, 2022 in Taupo, New Zealand. General registration for the event will open on January 14, 2021 at 2 pm CET.
For more information and registration, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-egypt. Athlete inquiries can be directed to egypt70.3@ironman.com.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.