Ironman competition to be held in Costa Rica for first time ever

Playa del Coco in Guanacaste will play host to Costa Rica’s first-ever Ironman competition one year from now, the triathlon brand announced Thursday. The Ironman 70.3 Costa Rica will take place on June 18, 2017, giving contestants the chance to earn one of 35 qualifying spots for the world championship in the United States.

Costa Rican Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura noted how important hosting a qualifying event for the world’s most recognizable triathlon could be for the country’s travel and sports scene.

“Alongside the private sector, we’ve been able to turn the country into an authentic destination for sports and tourism to co-exist successfully,” Ventura said in a Thursday news release. “We’re showing off our niche as a place for sustainable tourism in the public eye with such an important competition like this one that will motivate participants and the general public to visit Costa Rica.”

The Ironman 70.3 Costa Rica race will begin with a 1.9-kilometer swim through the Papagayo Gulf, followed by a 90-kilometer bike ride across the green landscapes of Guanacaste, and will conclude with a 21-kilometer run that ends on the sands of Playa del Coco.

“We’re sure that this event will turn into a classic when the participants cross the finish line in such a magnificent location that will help assure them their effort was worth the pain,” said Wilber Anderson, the CEO of Miami Tri Events and Colombia Tri Events, which own the event’s licensing operations.

The Ironman 70.3 Costa Rica race will be part of 90 similar Ironman 70.3 events across the world next year. The Costa Rican version of the race will offer $15,000 in prizes, as well as the chance to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

To register, those interested can do so at the official Ironman web page until Thursday, June 23, at 8:30 a.m. Costa Rican time.