Bolton has capped off another successful IRONMAN triathlon event by confirming a new deal to host IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton from 2024 onwards.
The borough has been home to IRONMAN since 2009 and has since added the world’s largest IRONKIDS event and the popular Night Run.
This new programme will now see IRONMAN UK become IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton, meaning the race will still follow the swim-bike-run format but will be half the distance across all disciplines.
The change comes as IRONMAN UK restructures its race calendar more widely and will continue to allow athletes to enjoy the very best of racing in Bolton and its surrounds.
Both Night Run, which is affiliated to England Athletics, and the ever-popular IRONKIDS, will continue with an increased capacity to allow even more participants and young people to enjoy the runs in Bolton.
This programme underlines Bolton as a host venue for major international events and will continue to bring a significant boost to the local economy.
Each year, the IRONMAN weekend brings and estimated £3.9m into Bolton as thousands of athletes and spectators take advantage of the town’s outstanding hospitality and retail offer.
Hosting major events is a key part of Bolton Council’s visitor and cultural strategies, bringing crowds into the town centre, boosting the economy, and showcasing the borough to a global audience.
As well as the economic benefit, Bolton’s long relationship with IRONMAN has also created a sporting legacy.
Many residents have been inspired to take part in the endurance event, to get fit and to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. This includes 102 local participants in IRONMAN this year from Bolton.
Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Nick Peel said:
“IRONMAN UK has been an incredible race and has enabled us to showcase the Bolton area across the country and the wider world.
“There’s always an incredible buzz around the town on race weekend, and we are very excited to continue to host a great IRONMAN race in our town.
“We look forward to the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton, alongside IRONKIDS and Night Run, as we continue to show what a great part of the world it is to come racing, and we hope we can attract a new generation of triathletes to our town.”
Sam Brawn, IRONMAN Regional Director UK & Ireland said:
“We are excited and look forward to hosting the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton event as we continue to improve the athlete race experience and grow the sport of triathlon in the UK.
“We want to thank Bolton Council for their continued support and our new vision for the race, and we look forward to making new finish line memories together for many years to come.”
The date announcement, course details, and details on how to enter 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton, IRONKIDS and Night Run will follow soon.