“Here there are no professionals, there are age group athletes, that is amateurs, who choose the races based on the destination. To simply take the medal they could go anywhere, but they decided to come here ”. Andrea Mentasti, race director and true soul of Ironman 70.3 Sardinia and the previous triathlon competitions hosted by Forte Village, takes a few seconds to clarify the sporting and tourist dimension of an appointment like the one scheduled for Sunday.
A triathlon of 1.9 km of swimming (in the Sardinian sea, a not inconsiderable detail), 90 of cycling (with dream views, another interesting starting point) and 21.1 of running during which fatigue makes any element almost useless side that is not the assistance guaranteed by over three hundred volunteers. What matters for Sardinia is that hundreds (probably a thousand in the race) of triathletes, 75% of them non-Italians (and many more non-Sardinians), arrive at the end of October in Santa Margherita di Pula for a few days of vacation with the excuse of competing in a competition. An Ironman, not just any one.
The test, which for the second time takes place on the island, does not include the participation of elites (seven days later there are world championships in America) but assigns 4 5 slots to be able to take part in the next world championship , which will take place in 2023. will race in Lathi, Finland. An element of sure appeal for the many athletes who came above all from Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal, the most represented among the 50 nations in contention.
Sunday morning at 9 the start, the best should close around 13.
