Europe’s 2007 Ironman Events
France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany host Ironman Competitions
Western Europe is home to four Ironman qualifying events: Nice, France; Zurich, Switzerland; Frankfurt, Germany; and Klagenfurt, Austria. Thousands of participants - along with their hordes of supporters, families and friends - from all over the world will descend on these four cities to compete for the Ironman title.
For those interested in participating, some of the races are still accepting applications.
Due to a conflict with elections in France, the Nice Ironman event was recently rescheduled for Sunday, June 24, which happens to be the same date as the Ironman competition in Zurich. For those unfamiliar with the particulars of an Ironman event, it includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race and a 26.2 mile run. Here is some basic information about each of the events, all of which are a spectacle to behold:
- Nice, France - Sunday, June 24: Starting with a swim in the beautiful turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the race gets off to a chilling start. The bicycle ride through the nearby mountain villages offers competitors amazing scenery and an even more amazing challenge. The marathon consists of four laps that come up near the famous Promenade des Anglais, finishing in front of the Hotel Meridien.
- Zurich, Switzerland - Sunday, June 24: With the temperature of the picturesque Zurichsee hovering around 72 degrees this time of year, the competitors don’t have much to complain about. The run, which includes four loops that follows the lakeside, is flat, again giving competitors a nice environment. The bike ride is where things get interesting. With climbs with names like “Heartbreak” and “Beast,” this is the challenge.
- Frankfurt, Germany - Sunday, July 1: Participants start the race at a lake, Langenaar Waldsee, that’s several miles from the race center in Frankfurt. The bike portion is fast and technical, and the marathon consists of three laps. Although the course is flat, it’s difficult due to the many turns.
- Klagenfurt, Austria - Sunday, July 8: Austria’s Ironman event takes place a couple hundred miles south of Vienna at the lakeside resort village of Klagenfurt. According to the Ironman.com site, the area is “considered to be the Copacabana of the Alps and one of the most beautiful places in the world.” New this year, the swim will be an in-water start rather than starting from the beach.
Europe also hosts a few Ironman 70.3 qualifying events, which will be discussed in another article.
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