SALALAH / LONDON / TAMPA (February 21, 2020) – The IRONMAN Group, a Wanda Sports Group company (Nasdaq: WSG), today announced that it will add its second race in the Sultanate of Oman with IRONMAN® 70.3® Salalah, Oman. The inaugural triathlon event in Salalah will be held on September 18, 2020.
It is the second race in the country after IRONMAN 70.3 Oman in Muscat which takes place today, and the fourth IRONMAN 70.3 event in the Middle East.
The City of Salalah is the second largest in the Sultanate and home to approximately 340,000 inhabitants. With its long history in trade Salalah has embraced visitors from across the world for centuries. Known for its mild climate compared to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula, Salalah today attracts most of its visitors during and after the Khareef season (Khareef meaning “au-tumn” in Arabic) which runs from June through August and transforms the city and its surround-ings into a large lush garden-like landscape.
“As Oman’s largest integrated tourism complex, we are excited to host the inaugural edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Salalah at our destination,” said Mahmoud El Baroudi, Chief Operating Officer of Muriya. “Hawana Salalah provides the perfect setting for participants whilst offering visitors a variety of world-class amenities, including 1,100 premium hotel rooms. As this race gains mo-mentum internationally, we look forward to welcoming sports enthusiasts at Hawana Salalah. This event reinforces how Muriya is contributing to the establishment of Oman as the premiere regional touristic destination by combining tourism and major international sports events.”
“Oman is a success story for us, and we are now ready and very much looking forward to writ-ing the next chapter,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa. “I want to congratulate the local team on their remarkable achievement. They have truly embraced the IRONMAN spirit and established our IRONMAN 70.3 series in the country. I wish them the best of luck for the second race in Oman.”
The 1,9 km (1.2-mile) swim course is located in the turquoise water of the Hawana Lagoons. Athletes will swim around the lagoons to the middle of the marina where they enter the transi-tion zone. The out-and-back 90,1 km (56-mile) bike course is flat and fast and leads athletes along the majestic coastline of the Indian Ocean with parts of the bike course on the highway that leads from Salalah to Murbatt. The final three-loop 21,1 km (13.1 mile) run course takes athletes around the Hawana Salalah and through spectator-friendly streets and alleys. The finish line is located in the heart of the marina.
“After the success of IRONMAN 70.3 Oman in Muscat we were ready to take the next step and create the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 event in Salalah. IRONMAN promotes a healthy and fit lifestyle and brings a significant economic impact to the region and city,” said Mohammed Al-Obaidani, CEO of the local “Tri-Me” organisation committee.
The 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Salalah, Oman will offer 30 coveted age-group qualifying slots to the 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, USA. General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Salalah, Oman will open on February 25, 2020 at 2 p.m. Central European Time.
For more information please visit, www.ironman.com/im703-salalah
