An IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon will be held this year in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, announced Hefei Municipal Government and Wanda Group, the owner of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) in a press conference on Thursday.
An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long distance triathlon races organized by the WTC. The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.
Florida-based WTC, organizer of the Ironman triathlon series, has a 91-percent share of the long-distance triathlon market.
To attract more athletes to participate in the event, the Hefei triathlon will offer 50 qualifying slots for the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, and 15 qualifying slots for the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
The competition is estimated to be held in October, and more information will be released soon, according to Gao Xiaoguang, a spokesman of Hefei municipal government.
