Australia's Sunshine Coast To Host 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship

Ironman announced today that it has chosen Australia’s Sunshine Coast in Mooloolaba, Queensland to host the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. The championship race will be held in September of 2016 and is the first time that the Ironman 70.3 World Championship will be staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Sunshine Coast and Queensland region is known for hosting Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast, the iconic Mooloolaba and Noosa Triathlon Festivals and prior hosting of International Triathlon Union (ITU) series and championship events.

“We are delighted to bring the Ironman 70.3 World Championship to Australia,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman in a press release. “Asia Pacific is a rapidly expanding region for our sport, particularly the Sunshine Coast and Queensland, both hugely popular strongholds for the Ironman brand.”

“The region has a significant history in the sport of triathlon and is a popular destination that we know will deliver a world class event while providing genuine warmth of hospitality,” Messick added.

According to Ironman, the race expects to attract 3,000 athletes from over 70 global qualifying events in locations such as Australia, Japan, Spain, England, South Africa and the Americas.

The championship is part of a week-long festival which will include the Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast race and a range of lifestyle events for the community and visitors to enjoy.

This year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship is set for Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada on Sept. 7, 2014 and the 2015 event will be hosted in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria on Aug. 30, 2015. Clearwater, Fla. hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championships from 2006 to 2010 before it was moved to Henderson, Nev. for 2011 to 2013. Ironman announced in 2013 that the race would rotate to different global locations each year starting in 2014.