Ironman has revealed an unusual two-race format for next year's 70.3 World Championship weekend in Austria, with the fourth annual Ironman 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun to be held on Saturday 29th August, followed by the 70.3 World Championship race the next day.
Announcing its plans at a press conference in Zell am See-Kaprun yesterday (8th April), Ironman also unveiled a new bike course for this year's 70.3 race, involving a one-loop bike route that will take athletes through the middle of the Austrian Alps, climbing up to 1,280 metres above sea level.
Official Press Conference welcoming the #IM703WC to Zell am See-Kaprun, Salzburg, Austria! pic.twitter.com/j9xpvaOuOk
— IRONMAN Europe (@IRONMANEurope) April 8, 2014
Austria was revealed last week as the host of next year's 70.3 Worlds, which will be the first ever held outside North America. This year's 70.3 World Championship will take place in Mont-Tremblant, Canada on 7th September 2014, with each age-group winner automatically qualifying for next year's finals in Austria.
The overall winners of last year's 70.3 World Championship in the US state of Nevada were Sebastian Kienle (GER) and Melissa Hauschildt (AUS), with Britain's Will Clarke coming 10th in the men's race and Catriona Morrison coming fourth in the women's event.
(Main image: EXPA/ Juergen Feichter)