Ironman 70.3

Location: National and International

The Ironman 70.3 Series was born in 2005 and consists of a 1.2 Mile swim, a 56 Mile bike and a 13.1 Mile run. With the introduction of the Series, the event that was previously referred to as a "Half Ironman," became what is known today, around the world, as an Ironman 70.3.

In addition to a new global series of events, the launch of the Ironman 70.3 Series provided athletes with the unique opportunity to qualify for a world championship at that distance. All Ironman 70.3 events would culminate at the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place beginning in November of 2006 in Clearwater, FL.

"The Ironman 70.3 name distinguishes our events both in name and in quality. We believe the new series will energize the competitive spirit and fully recognize the distance accomplished by our athletes," says Steve Meckfessel, Ironman 70.3 events director.

The Ironman 70.3 Series launched with 16 events and kicked off in September of 2005 with the U.K. Ironman 70.3. The first year of the Ironman 70.3 Series drew more than 20,000 athletes worldwide. The Series continues to grow and several events have been added to the 2007 calendar, including events in exciting locations such as Switzerland, Singapore, Newfoundland and Germany. The new additions bring the current number of events in the 2007 Ironman 70.3 Series to 22.

Visit http://www.ironman.com to learn more about the Ironman 70.3 Series and the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3.