At a press conference on Wednesday it was announced that the 2016 VNG Ironman 70.3 Vietnam triathlon will take place in Da Nang on 8 May.  The competition is expected to attract over 1,200 athletes from 56 countries and territories around the world.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Trinh Bang, Director of Sunrise Events Vietnam, the event’s organiser, remarked “Da Nang has great potential for sports tourism.  It is therefore no surprise that the seaside city has been chosen as the ideal venue for hosting this international event for the second time”.

Mr Bang added that this year’s competition is likely to attract 50 relay teams in addition to individual contestants.  It will serve as a qualifying round for the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in Mactan, Cebu, Philippines on 7 August and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia on 4 September. 

Contestants in the swimming race last year (Photo: Internet)

There will be 46 slots for the most outstanding contestants from the Viet Nam triathlon to compete in the world championship race, and 44 for the Asia Pacific championship.  In addition, the organisers will earmark 2 exclusive slots in the world championship race for the top Vietnamese male and female finishers.

Mr Bang noted, “Amongst the contestants are 172 from Viet Nam, the largest number of participants from any one country.  This figure demonstrates the attractiveness of the triathlon and the increasing awareness of improving fitness and health amongst Da Nang residents, and Vietnamese people as a whole”.

Most notably, it will be the first time that 3 contestants aged between 60 and 70 will together participate in the relay event.  One of the event’s registrants is 61-year-old Bao Hoa. 

Mr Hoa said that he would compete in the 21km run, whilst his 66 and 69-year-old teammates will respectively compete in the 1.9km swim and the 2-loop 90km cycling race.

Mrs Suzanna Lubran, a trustee of Newborns Vietnam, affirmed “The triathlon is not only a sporting event but also a chance to raise funds for charitable activities worldwide.  Many members of Newborns Vietnam, Operation Smile Vietnam, and Saving Rhinos took part in last year’s event.  As a result, a total of 45,000 USD was raised from contestants.  Part of the money donated was used to purchase 2 incubators for premature newborn infants at the Da Nang Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital”.

The VNG Ironman 70.3 Vietnam triathlon is another great opportunity to awaken the city’s potential for sports tourism, as well as raise local residents’ awareness of becoming actively involving in charitable activities to make Da Nang a more liveable city in the future.