Ironman Discontinues 70.3 Laguna Phuket

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of Ironman, announced today, Nov. 5, that it will be discontinuing Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket Triathlon after the 2012 event, which is scheduled for Dec. 2 in Phuket, Thailand. WTC cites the race’s small scale and lack of opportunity for growth as reasons for the decision. The race used to be the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship.

See the complete announcement below:

World Triathlon Corporation announced today it will discontinue Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket after the 2012 race next month. Although Ironman has enjoyed its partnership with Laguna Phuket, the race’s small scale and inability to grow limits its viability as a long- term venue in the region. “The capacity of the 70.3 Laguna Phuket is only 800 athletes, and demand for our races in the region is such that we require venues that can in time grow to become important regional races,” said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for WTC. “We hope our friends at Laguna Phuket can find a partner with more experience operating smaller races.”