Goa CM Sawant flags off IRONMAN 70.3 from Miramar Beach
Oct 08, 2023
Panjim (Goa) [India], October 8 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant flagged off IRONMAN 70.3, a multisport event from Miramar Beach, North Goa, on Sunday. Nearly 1,200 triathletes from 30 countries are participating in the event known as the world's toughest one-day sporting event.
CM Sawant welcomed the triathletes who have participated in the event.
"This event is for fitness. You have been preparing for it throughout the year. On behalf of the Goa government and its people, I welcome you who have come here to participate in this event," Sawant said while addressing the triathletes.
The triathletes will have to cover a distance of 70.3 miles (113 kilometres) by running, swimming, and cycling.
This year's IRONMAN 70.3 is its third edition in India. The inaugural edition was held in 2019, with over 1,100 triathletes participating.
The participants begin the race with a 1.9-kilometre swim off Miramar Beach. The swimming will be followed by a 90-kilometer bicycle ride before concluding with a 21.1-kilometer run from Miramar Circle in Panaji, the state's capital.
The swim course is a 1-lap triangular 1.9km swim in the serene waters of Miramar Beach, which includes a 750m swim out, a 400m turn right, and another 750m swim back to the start. The course would be a 1-lap clockwise flow of swimmers, and the rolling swim start will offer a smoother, safer, and more efficient swim experience for all our athletes.
The 3-lap, 90-km bike course starts at Miramar Circle, moves along the outskirts of quaint Panaji, and proceeds to the Divja Circle, from where athletes take a slight left and get onto the Ribandar Causeway and cycle along the scenic Mandovi River. They take a U-turn at the end of the Ribandar Causeway and come back to the Divja Circle, from where they turn left onto the 3-lane National Highway.
The run course is a 3-lap, 21km run that will begin at Miramar Circle, go past Dona Paula Circle to take a right heading to a u-turn point about 500m towards Raj Bhavan Road, and come back to Dona Paula Circle to the start point and repeat the entire lap twice again. The run course is a closed road race to ensure that you are not impacted by civilian traffic.
