Triathletes start a 1.9km swimming event at the VNG Ironman 70.3 Viet Nam in Da Nang City last year. The race has drawn over 1,100 athletes from 59 countries over the world this year. -- VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The race’s organiser, Sunrise Events Viet Nam, said at a press conference on Monday (May 2) that the triathlon this year will debut with a race for children in the age groups of 6 to 10 and 11 to 14, with 1.5km and 2km runs, respectively.

The Iron Kid race will take place on May 7.

Trinh Bang, managing director of Sunrise Events Viet Nam, said that this year the race had drawn the participation of 1,132 athletes representing 59 countries, including more than 25 professional triathletes and 50 relay teams.

He said the top men’s and women’s Vietnamese finishers will qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship at Mooloolaba, in Queensland, Australia, along with 46 age-group qualifying slots, and 44 slots for the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in Cebu, the Philippines.

As scheduled, athletes will start swimming in a 1.9km ocean swim in front of the Hyatt Regency Da Nang Resort & Spa, a two-loop 90km bike race along Truong Sa-Hoang Sa-Vo Nguyen Giap-Nguyen Tat Thanh streets, and a 21km run along the coastline of Da Nang.

The athletes will take at least eight hours to finish the muscle sport race in the city’s hot tropical weather.

The race will raise money for Newborns Viet Nam to reduce deaths of new born babies in Viet Nam and the central region. Last year, the race raised US$45,000 to help Newborns Viet Nam purchase the first two incubators in Da Nang’s Pediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital.

Three athletes from Da Nang will also debut in the race with the relay event because the city has yet to recruit a powerful triathlete completing three events.

Last year, the race drew over 1,000 athletes from 54 countries and territories. James Cunnama from South Africa and Caroline Steffen from Switzerland won the men’s and women’s titles.

Viet Nam is the 30th country in the world and the eighth Asia-Pacific country to host an Ironman triathlon.

VNS