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n a bid to boost sports tourism, the Bintan regency of Riau Islands, in cooperation with Asian sports organizer MetaSport, is set to run the Bintan Ironman 70.3 Triathlon competition from Aug. 26 to 28.

The event, the second after the debut last year, is expected to draw in 1,000 participants, both local and from abroad, with an estimated 3,000 spectators coming along.

The race will start with a 1.9-kilometer swim through Bintan’s crystal-clear waters, which have 6-meter visibility. The water temperature is expected to be about 29 degrees Celsius, so wetsuits are not allowed.

Entering phase two, participants will be offered a challenging 90-km lap of the island. The route meanders through the north-western part of the island, which, save for a few villages full of enthusiastic flag-waving spectators, still lies in its natural state.

The scenery changes from lush, dense green forest to coastal views. The elevation of the course varies between rolling hills inland and fast flat sections trailing the coast. The hills are short, nothing over 60 meters, but numerous. The road surface is mostly smooth tarmac with a low rolling resistance.

Lastly, a fast and flat run course consists of three laps of 7 kilometers and follows a paved track around the artificial lake of Lagoi Bay, through manicured gardens skirting the tropical rainforest.

The multi-lap format, passing by the festive finish area several times, gives spectators an opportunity to see and support the athletes in this final discipline of the race.

The top 30 finishers will pocket tickets to the 2017 World Ironman 70.3 competition in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US.

Bintan, dubbed Indonesia’s next best tourist destination after Bali, has high expectations that the Ironman event will strongly boost its local economy through tourism.

“Tourism contributes more than 50 percent to the region’s locally generated revenues,” Bintan tourism agency chief Luki Zaiman Prawira told a press conference held in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to the local administration, Bintan now stands as the fourth largest tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali, Jakarta and Batam. All participants and their supporters are also welcomed to stay at the island’s best accommodation.

The Tourism Ministry is a big supporter of the August event. “The ministry appreciates every effort tailored to boost tourism in the country. We will be there, providing support, from before, during and after the events,” said ministry official Nia Niscaya.

Natalie Marquet of MetaSport said Bintan was chosen as it offers a combination of best sites, good infrastructure and good government support.

She said the event has managed to lure athletes and sport aficionados from countries like Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, the UK and Japan.

“In last year’s event, 10 percent of the event’s participants were local. This year, we expect an increase to 15 percent,” she added.

Visit ironmanbintan.com to register and for further information on Bintan Ironman 70.3.