Desaru Coast Malaysia to Host Inaugural Desaru Coast Multisport Festival Presented by IRONMAN
Held in southern Malaysia’s tropical seaside destination from 17-19 April 2020
IRONMAN 70.3 Desaru Coast offers 60 qualifying race slots for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships
First-timer friendly formats include 5150 Desaru Coast, Sprint Desaru Coast and IRONKIDS Desaru Coast
KUALA LUMPUR / TAMPA, Fla. (27 August 2019) – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Group company, today announced its event expansion in Asia with a brand-new multisport festival in Desaru Coast, Malaysia. Desaru Coast Multisport Festival presented by IRONMAN will be held from 17-19 April 2020; the festival is the first of its kind in Asia, and will comprise an IRONMAN® 70.3®triathlon, 5150TM Triathlon along with IRONKIDS® and Sprint races.
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The multisport festival weekend will feature IRONMAN 70.3 Desaru Coast, the latest addition to the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia race calendar. The 5150 Desaru Coast, Sprint Desaru Coast and IRONKIDS Desaru Coast races will provide a fresh challenge for newcomers in the sport of triathlon.
Geoff Meyer, Managing Director of IRONMAN Asia, said, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of Asia’s first-ever multisport festival, a testament to the growing appetite for triathlon in Asia, and IRONMAN’s commitment to developing the sport in the region. The three-day event is designed to offer athletes a wider selection of race destinations and distances in Asia, also attracting newcomers.”
Situated on the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Desaru Coast presents a scenic racecourse with a pristine 17-km beachfront that faces eastwards over the clear ocean waters with white sandy beaches and warm tropical weather. The course will start with a single-loop 1.9-km (1.2-mile) swim, with a start line located footsteps away from the official hotel, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort.
This is followed by a 90-km (56-mile) ride on a two-loop bike course along the coastline on smooth, flat roads. Athletes will then take on a 21.1-km (13.1-mile) shaded run course to the finish line at The Westin Desaru Coast Resort. The race offers 60 qualifying slots to the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand taking place on November 28-29, 2020.
“The festival environment will provide athletes of all ages and abilities with a truly unique race experience. The combination of sea and jungle make for the perfect location for athletes to enjoy their surroundings while competing. With the support of the Malaysian government, we are excited to continue bringing endurance sport to more people in Malaysia and welcome more athletes into our IRONMAN `Ohana,” said CG Lim, Regional Director, Malaysia, IRONMAN Asia.
A new, integrated coastal destination resort in Malaysia, Desaru Coast is infused with globally renowned hotels and resorts, two championship golf courses, a conference centre, and an adventure waterpark. The destination enjoys a moderate, windy climate year-round with a natural landscape to welcome athletes from all over the world.
“We are delighted to host the first ever Desaru Coast Multisport Festival presented by IRONMAN in Asia and look forward to welcoming not just the athletes, but also their families and friends to Desaru Coast. With great climate and terrain, we hope that by hosting more international sporting events like Desaru Coast Multisport Festival presented by IRONMAN, we are able to propel Johor and Desaru Coast’s reputation as a preferred sports tourism destination in the Southeast Asian region,” said Roslina Arbak, Chief Executive Officer, Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bhd (DH1).
The Desaru Coast Multisport Festival presented by IRONMAN is part of the destination’s annual events programme, a curation of special events focusing on sports, lifestyle, and entertainment, designed exclusively to nurture Desaru Coast as a signature events destination. Located in the south eastern region of Malaysia, Desaru Coast can be easily accessed by land, sea and air, and offers a premium blend of tourism offerings which not only cater to high calibre sporting events, but also allow athletes and visitors alike an endless opportunity for escape.
IRONMAN 70.3 Desaru Coast and 5150 Desaru Coast will join the IRONMAN Asia circuit as the third and fourth races in Malaysia, adding to existing races which includes IRONMAN Malaysia and IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi.
Registration is now open for the Desaru Coast Multisport Festival presented by IRONMAN. For more information, visitwww.ironman.com/70.3desaru and www.ironman.com/5150desaru.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
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About The IRONMAN Group
As part of Wanda Sports Group, the IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, IRONKIDS®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and The Sun-Herald City2Surf® presented by Westpac, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with more than 235 events across 55+ countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Group
Wanda Sports Group (Nasdaq: WSG) is a leading global sports events, media and marketing platform with a mission to unite people in sports and enable athletes and fans to live their passions and dreams. Through our businesses, including Infront and The IRONMAN Group, we have significant intellectual property rights, long-term relationships and broad execution capabilities, enabling us to deliver unrivalled sports event experiences, creating access to engaging content and building inclusive communities. We offer a comprehensive array of events, marketing and media services through three primary segments: Mass Participation, Spectator Sports and Digital, Production, Sports Solutions (DPSS). Our full-service platform creates value for our partners and clients as well as other stakeholders in the sports ecosystem, from rights owners, to brands and advertisers, and to fans and athletes.
Headquartered in Beijing, China, Wanda Sports Group has more than 60 offices and 1,600 employees around the world.
About Desaru Coast
Desaru Coast is curated as a new integrated destination resort in Malaysia with a portfolio of globally renowned hotels and resorts, namely Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, as well as One&Only Desaru Coast. Desaru Coast is also home to Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark - one of the world’s biggest waterparks, Desaru Coast Conference Centre - a fully equipped conference facility, The Els Club Desaru Coast – 45 holes of golf in total with two distinct clubs, Ocean Course and Valley Course, and Desaru Coast Riverside – a 23-acre waterfront landscaped retail and lifestyle village. It provides an indulgent getaway for the discerning leisure and business traveler alike. Located in the south-eastern region of the country, in the state of Johor, Desaru Coast spans over 3,900 acres along a pristine 17 km beachfront that faces eastwards over the clear ocean waters. The destination is set amid a rich bio -diverse location and is easily accessible via road, air and sea.
Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn. Bhd. (“DH1”) is the master developer of Desaru Coast and is a subsidiary of Desaru Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (“DDC”) within the Themed Attractions Resorts Hotels Sdn. Bhd. group of companies.
To find out more, please visit us at www.desarucoast.com and www.tarh.com.my.