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Bintan Ironman returns with more slots for World C’ship

Nathalie Marquet (Courtesy of Ironman 70

Ramadani Saputra (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, June 26, 2019

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Bintan Ironman returns with more slots for World C’ship

Nathalie Marquet (Courtesy of Ironman 70.3 Bintan)

The Indofood Ironman 70.3 Bintan triathlon competition in Riau Islands is back for its fifth edition this year, offering more slots for the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier.

In the 2019 edition, the event, which will be held on Aug. 25-26, will offer 60 slots — a double in increase from last year — for the best amateur triathletes in the race. In addition to offering extra slots in the world championship, the organizer also aims to improve participants’ experience by making the running course cooler than the previous edition.

“By offering 60 slots this year, we are attracting more people from far away because they are trying to qualify for the world championship. That is a big development for the event,” Nathalie Marquet, the CEO of organizer MetaSport, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship is to be held in Taupo, New Zealand. The number 70.3 refers to the total distance in miles, which equals to 113 kilometers, comprising a 1.9-km swim, 90-km bicycle race and 21.1-km run.

Marquet said the organizers would continue to improve the quality of the race to provide a better experience for participants. The Ironman 70.3 Bintan was awarded Best Destination Race in 2018 by the triathlon website asiatri.com.

“This year, our focus is going to be on making the run-course cooler, which is a challenge in Indonesia. We are going to have some showers at different stations on the course to cool down the athletes,” she said.

“There are a lot of other 70.3 competitions in the world and people travel for that. And we are competing with other similar events. Participants want to have a fast time. If the run is cooler, people will make better time, generally.”

There will also be a slight change in the entry of the race as participants will be divided into groups of six and they will have a rolling start — taking turn to start swimming — instead of a mass start like usual.

“We are two months away [from the race]. We are in the final phase of planning. We have 1,000 participants already registered. We are now working closely for the government to resurface the road, to make sure the road is in good condition for the bike path,” Marquet said.

The Indofood Ironman 70.3 in Bintan has been held since 2015. Bintan was chosen for its accessibility as organizers think that the area is easily accessed from Jakarta and neighboring country Singapore.

The event is also part of Indonesia’s effort to boost its sports tourism. The Tourism Ministry’s officer for multicultural issues, Esthy Reko Astuti, said the tourism potential of Bintan as a cross-border area has yet been fully utilized.

Esthy pointed to Spain as a good example of a cross-border area that has successfully attracted a huge number of tourists.

Bintan regency’s tourism and culture agency head, Wan Rudy, said his regency had been focusing on developing sports tourism due to its vast potential.

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