View source for Ironman 70.3

{{Short description|Series of long-distance triathlon races}}
{{Other uses|Ironman (disambiguation){{!}}Ironman}}
An '''Ironman 70.3''', also known as a '''Half Ironman''', is one of a series of long-distance [[triathlon]] races organized by the [[World Triathlon Corporation]] (WTC). The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0&nbsp;km) covered in the race, consisting of a {{convert|1.2|mi|adj=on}} swim, a {{convert|56|mi|adj=on}} bike ride, and a {{convert|13.1|mi|adj=on}} run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an [[Ironman Triathlon]]. The Ironman 70.3 series culminates each year with a World Championship competition, for which competitors qualify during the 70.3 series in the 12 months prior to the championship race. In addition to the World Championship race, Ironman 70.3 championship competitions are also held for the European, [[Asia-Pacific]], and Latin America regions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ironman Germany 70.3 Named European Championship|url=http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/germany70.3/wiesbaden-set-to-host-ironman-70.3-european-championship|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation|access-date=9 November 2010|date=6 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118030041/http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/germany70.3/wiesbaden-set-to-host-ironman-70.3-european-championship|archive-date=18 November 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship Announced|url=http://ironman.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/inaugural-ironman-70.3-asia-pacific-championship-to-be-staged-at-laguna-phuket|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation|access-date=9 November 2010|date=13 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104233844/http://ironman.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/inaugural-ironman-70.3-asia-pacific-championship-to-be-staged-at-laguna-phuket|archive-date=4 November 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.triathlonbusiness.com/2011/industry-news/ironman-70-3-panama-2012/|title=Ironman 70.3 Panama 2012|date=13 May 2011|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=TriathlonBusiness.com}}</ref>

The time needed by an athlete to complete a 70.3 distance event varies from race to race and can be influenced by external factors. These factors include the terrain and the total elevation gained and lost on the course, weather conditions, and course conditions. Finish times range from sub-four-hour completion times by elite-level athletes to the imposed race cutoff, which is commonly 8 hours and 30 minutes after the start time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ironmankansas.com/files/2010/11/Kansas-70.3_6.4.12_v2_ACE-FINAL.pdf|title=Kansas 70.3 Athlete Guide 2012|access-date=December 4, 2012|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617041201/http://ironmankansas.com/files/2010/11/Kansas-70.3_6.4.12_v2_ACE-FINAL.pdf|archive-date=June 17, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ironmanaugusta.com/files/2010/12/2012_Augusta-70.3-AG-FINAL-9.20.pdf|title=Augusta 70.3 Athlete Guide 2012|access-date=December 4, 2012|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ironman.com/~/media/6d4cd1f5d1b2471eb220d417cb109d84/ag.pdf|title=Racine 70.3 Athlete Guide 2012|access-date=December 4, 2012|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation}}</ref>

==Ironman 70.3 World Championship==
{{main|Ironman 70.3 World Championship}}

==History==
The first Half Ironman branded race was Half Ironman UK, which was raced in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironmanuk.com/uk-ironman-703|title=Ironman 70.3 UK|access-date=September 11, 2013|publisher=World Triathlon Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xtri.com/features/detail/284-itemId.511706828.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531171629/http://www.xtri.com/features/detail/284-itemId.511706828.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 31, 2014|title=Half Ironman UK|access-date=September 11, 2013|last=Docherty|first=Rob|publisher=Xtri.com}}</ref> However, prior to the launch of the 70.3 series in 2005, races were then known as Half Ironman before adopting the Ironman 70.3 label.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironman703.co.za/media/history-of-triathlon|title=History of Triathlon|publisher=Ironman South Africa|access-date=September 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818051224/http://ironman703.co.za/media/history-of-triathlon|archive-date=August 18, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The oldest half-iron-distance race, though not under the WTC umbrella at the time, is the [[Superfrog Triathlon]], which began in 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/29/tp-armstrong-to-compete-here-in-superfrog/all/?print|title=Armstrong to Compete here in Superfrog Triathlon|date=September 29, 2012|access-date=September 11, 2013|last=Zeigler|first=Mark|publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://superfrogtriathlon.com/superfrog/|title=History of SUPERFROG|publisher=SUPERFROG, Inc. Triathlons|access-date=September 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407054145/http://superfrogtriathlon.com/superfrog/|archive-date=April 7, 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

The number of qualification events within the 70.3 series has grown since its inception, growing to match the popularity of the sport and interest in the distance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/demographics.aspx|title=Triathlon participation, growth trends and demographics|access-date=August 16, 2013|publisher=USA Triathlon|date=April 2013|archive-date=December 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205111021/http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/demographics.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since the first year of the Ironman 70.3 Championship race in 2006 the series grew from 14 events to over 60 events in the span of seven years. The [[2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship|2016]] series saw 89 events worldwide, with the biggest one-year increase in the number of events coming between the [[2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship|2011]] and [[2012 Ironman 70.3 World Championship|2012]] series when the number of races grew from 38 to 57.

Since 2022, [[Vietnam]]'s [[automobile]] maker [[VinFast]] was the first ever naming rights partner for [[2022 Ironman World Championship]] and [[2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship]].<ref>[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vinfast-and-ironman-announce-a-groundbreaking-and-comprehensive-global-partnership-301592028.html VINFAST AND IRONMAN ANNOUNCE A GROUNDBREAKING AND COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP] [[PR Newswire]] 22 Jul, 2022</ref>

==World records==

Due to the lack of course certification for half-iron distance races, there is no official world record for 70.3 events. The fastest times to complete a half-iron distance race for men and women were both set at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 Bahrain by [[Kristian Blummenfelt]] and [[Holly Lawrence]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.tri247.com/triathlon-news/elite/70-3-middle-east-bahrain-2019-report|title= Bahrain: Middle East 70.3 Champs three-peats for Blummenfelt and Lawrence|access-date=March 9, 2022|publisher=USA Triathlon|date=December 9, 2019}}</ref> While these remain the fastest times for any Ironman-branded 70.3 race, they were achieved on a 53.9-mile (86.8 km) bike course,<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.strava.com/activities/2917291581|title= Kristian Blummenfelt - Ride|access-date=March 9, 2022|date=December 7, 2019}}</ref> noticeably less than the standard 56-mile (90 km) course for 70.3 events.

===Ironman 70.3 records===

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|-
!
!Event
!Record
!Athlete
!Nationality
!Date
!Location
!Ref
|-
!Men
|Ironman 70.3 Dubai
|3:26:06<br> <small>(22:49-0:52-1:53:28-1:02-1:07:56)</small>
|[[Marten Van Riel]]
|{{Flagu|Belgium}}
|March 5, 2022
|[[Dubai|Dubai, United Arab Emirates]]
|<ref name="Van Riel">{{cite web|url= https://www.tri247.com/triathlon-news/elite/ironman-70-3-dubai-results-2022-men|title= IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai 2022 results: Marten Van Riel is the real deal|last=Levison|first=John|date=March 5, 2022|access-date=March 9, 2022|publisher=tri247.com}}</ref>
<ref name="Results">{{cite web|title=2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai Results|url= https://www.ironman.com/im703-dubai-results|publisher=ironman.com|date=March 5, 2022}}</ref>
|-
!Women
|Ironman 70.3 Dubai
|3:53:03<br> <small>(26:28-0:54-2:04:52-1:18-1:19:31)</small>
|[[Laura Philipp]]
|{{Flagu|Germany}}
|March 5, 2022
|[[Dubai|Dubai, United Arab Emirates]]
|<ref name="Philipp">{{cite web|title= Laura Philipp outruns Daniela Ryf to win Ironman 70.3 Dubai|url= https://tri-today.com/2022/03/laura-philipp-outruns-daniela-ryf-to-win-ironman-70-3-dubai/|publisher=tri-today.com|date=March 5, 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="Results"/>
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.ironman.com/im703-races}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025235932/http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3 World Triathlon Corporation Ironman 70.3 webpages]

{{WTC Ironman World Championship Navbox}}
{{Footer Ironman 70.3 Triathlon World Champions men|othersexlink=no}}
{{Footer Ironman 70.3 Triathlon World Champions women|othersexlink=no}}
{{VinFast}}

[[Category:Ironman Triathlon|70.3]]
[[Category:Half marathons]]