Staffordshire County Council and Ironman have announced that a new Ironman 70.3 triathlon will be coming to the heart of England. The inaugural Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon will take place on 14 June 2015 and will join the existing 70.3 in Wimbleball, Exmoor, on the UK's middle-distance circuit.
Set to be one of the flattest, fastest triathlons on the calendar, Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire will consist of a 1.2-mile swim in Chasewater reservoir and a 56-mile bike course through the stunning countryside outside Lichfield, Burton-upon-Trent and across Cannock Chase area of outstanding natural beauty. The concluding 13.1 mile run will start and finish at the historic Shugborough country estate, the former ancestral home of Lord Lichfield, a renowned royal photographer and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Kevin Stewart, Managing Director Ironman UK & Ireland, commented, “We are extremely excited to be expanding our Ironman 70.3 event calendar in response to demand from UK athletes. Our only other UK 70.3 event sold out last October, so we are sure that thousands of new athletes will be attracted to the sport by this new race. Both the venue of Shugborough and surrounding area of Staffordshire offer the perfect platform in every aspect for the event and we very much look forward to developing a long and successful partnership with Staffordshire County Council.”
2014 70.3 Wimbleball Champion Will Clarke said, “It’s great news to have another race on home soil as I’m currently only racing in the UK once a year. What’s more it’ll be amazing to have an Ironman race so central making it easier for my friends and family to be there to support. With Ironman now being so popular in the UK it’s fantastic to be able to offer a flat course that isn’t as tough as 70.3 Exmoor and I’m sure will be hugely popular.”
One of more than 70 events in the global 70.3 Series, the Staffordshire triathlon will have a $15,000 USD professional prize purse and will be a P-500 race. Additionally, the race will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots for athletes to qualify for the 2015 70.3 World Championship to be held in Europe for the first time, hosted by Zell am See, Austria.
Full details of the race will be available later this summer. For athletes wishing to register for 70.3 Staffordshire and/or to receive additional information, please go to www.ironman.com/staffordshire70.3
