KOTA TINGGI – Swim, bike, run. That is going to be the mantra for participants who will push their bodies to the physical limits at the Desaru Coast Multisport Festival from July 22 to 24.
It is going to be a busy weekend as the three days involve high-endurance contestants trying to beat the clock to see who can be the fastest in water, on wheels, and on foot.
Presented by Ironman, the people behind the Ironman Triathlon, the weekend will see four events take place – the Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon, and Ironkids.
Many arriving in Desaru Coast will be here for the marquee event on the final day – the Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast on July 24, Sunday.
The Half Ironman will see participants be flagged off at 7.05am as they plunge into the sea where they will fight the waves and swim a distance of 1.9km, followed by a scenic and hilly bike ride of 90km, and finally endure the gruelling 21.1km run to the finish line.
With 1,475 athletes lining up at the swim start, the main event will offer 30 slots to the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Finland, which will be held on August 26 to 27 next year.
Participants have come in from far and wide, with entries coming from Australia, New Zealand, France, England, and the United States.
Within Asia, there are names from Indonesia, Philippines, India, Japan, and Singapore, with Malaysian participants making up 40% of the total entries.
On the second day, the 5150 Triathlon and Sprint Triathlon participants will set off together. However, the 5150 Triathlon triathletes will swim 1.5km, bike 40km, and run 10km, while the sprinters will cover half that distance.
Paving the way on the first day was Ironkids, which saw children aged 7 to 10 swim 100m, ride a bike for 4km, and run for 1.3km, while 11 to 15-year-old kids swam 200m, biked 8km, and ran 1.9km.
Although the youngsters did not compete for podium spots, the fringe event was mainly to expose young athletes to the physically demanding challenges of a triathlon.
All the events will start on the shores of the Westin Hotel, Desaru Coast. – The Vibes, July 22, 2022
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