Now you can not only enjoy the football-crazy country of Portugal, you can get triathlon crazy too! Ironman has just launched a new race – the IRONMAN 70.3 Cascais located in Cascais, west of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.
The fisherman’s Village of Cascais has been turned into a bustling coastal town and become the preferred summer seat for Portugal’s royal family and nobility.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our athletes an IRONMAN 70.3 event in Portugal. This wonderful location clearly provides all the ingredients for a memorable IRONMAN 70.3 race experience,” said Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Managing Director of IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Athletes will start their race with a one-loop 1.9 km swim against the backdrop of the Fortaleza da Cidadela, the most spectacular bay in Portugal. Originating in Cascais, the 90.1 km, one-loop bike course runs alongside the ocean, and through to the Village of Oeiras.
The course also covers stunning natural scenery in the Sintra forests, returning to Cascais along the Guincho Beach. The two-loop 21.1 km run course leads athletes along the seafront promenade and to Estoril and S. Pedro, where competitors will be cooled by the sea breeze.
With its mild climate and 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, Portugal has always been the perfect destination for family holidays. Cascais, with more than 650 years of history, is just a 20 minute drive from Lisbon International Airport and is located between Sintra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Oeiras.
IRONMAN 70.3 Cascais Portugal will offer a $15,000 USD professional prize purse and 50 age-group qualifying slots for the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Cascais Portugal will open on October 9, 2016 at ironman.com/portugal70.3.
Source: Ironman.com
