This Sunday, May 1, head to Port Macquarie for one of the world’s most exciting spectator events, the 2011 Urban Hotel Group Australian Ironman Triathlon.
Marvel at 1500 super-fit humans as they battle it out in mind and body for the coveted title.
The action starts at 6.30am when athletes plunge into Port Macquarie’s Hastings River for a 3.8km swim, then a 180.2km bike ride and 42.2km run.
This year’s race will also include The Urban Hotel Group Ironman 70.3, or Half Ironman, which consists of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21km run.
This year’s race features a new and enhanced course, which means greater access and viewing for the expected 6000 spectators.
For the first time, the bike leg will take in the southern townships of Laurieton, Bonny Hills, North Haven and Dunbogan in the Camden Haven, and a four-lap run course focuses on the scenic CBD and waterfront.
A star contender for the event is two-time Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander, who won back-to-back Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2008 and 2009. He will race at Ironman Australia for the first time since he made his Ironman debut at the event in 2007.
The action will be centred in the Port Macquarie CBD with the finish on the picturesque Town Green, rather than Westport Park, as in previous years.
“Port Macquarie is one of the most stunning Ironman courses in the world.
“Around 7000 people will fill the town’s hotels, restaurants, shops and open spaces, making it the biggest sporting event in the region,” said Linda Hall, Tourism and Events Manager at Port-Macquarie Hastings Council.
The Triathlon has been in Port Macquarie for six years and injects between $8 to 10million into the local economy each year.
