LAST CALL for IRONMAN Malaysia & IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi 2019

IRONMAN Malaysia has been a staple of Asia’s sporting scene since 2000, having collected several accolades along the way.

A highly anticipated event in Malaysia

Now come 2019, the event has become one of the Malaysia’s much-anticipated triathlon events, and is opening its doors to interested participants who are keen to put their physical endurance to the test amidst the picturesque scenery of Langkawi Island.

The course and location

Indeed, the 3.8km swim course begins off the white, sandy beaches of Pantai Kok and is followed by the two loop 90km bike course heading out of Pantai Kok, towards the rolling hills of Datai and the fringes of the Kuah township.

The final segment of the race is a multi-lap 42.2km run course along the scenic route of Langkawi International Airport, towards the finish at Cenang Beach.

The gorgeous location offers the chance for a perfect and idyllic getaway after the race.

Combined with the Deepavali weekend

Furthermore, with the race being on Deepavali weekend, IRONMAN Malaysia participants will get to experience Deepavali, one of the major cultural festivals in Malaysia. Known as the Festival Of Lights, the island will be made even more colourful during the IRONMAN weekend. With scrumptious Deepavali delicacies in town for the festival, too, this will be an experience like none other.

A record number of athletes attending

And a record number of athletes have already been bitten by the bug. For this year, the athlete pool for IRONMAN Malaysia and IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi sees a total of 35% Malaysians, with a total of 2,500 registered athletes and still counting.

These figures place Malaysia as the country with the highest athlete count, compared to the 12% of Malaysian participation in 2014 and 1,400 athletes altogether.

135 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN and the 70.3 World Championships

As well, a total of 110 qualifying slots available for both the 2020 IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, and the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, New Zealand, are available through this event.

To break down the numbers, there are 50 slots for the 2020 IRONMAN World Championships and 60 slots for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.

Furthermore, female triathletes can enjoy more support as IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi is one of the few events to receive 25 additional slots for the 2020 IROMMAN 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, as part of the Women For Tri program. This is an initiative under the IRONMAN Foundation to welcome and empower new female triathletes to be a part of the sport’s continued growth in high-level competitions.

And this means that there are a total of 135 slots up for grabs at the IROMMAN and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, combined.

This is the most number of slots offered at a single venue, and is testament to the growing popularity of the sport of triathlon in the region.

An IRON KIDS event for the young ones

The young ones have not been forgotten too, with an IRON KIDS race taking place, where children will get the chance to experience an open water swim just like the adults, taking place at the IRONMAN finish line located at the scenic beach front of Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa.