The Ironman 70.3 World Championships returns to European soil in 2023 – Lahti will be the third European city to host the event after Zell am See Kaprun (Austria) in 2015 and Nice (France) in 2019.

Iron Man announced today that the Finnish city of Lahti has secured the right to host the 2023 IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship. The two-day event will take place on 26 and 27 August 2023. This is the third time that the Ironman 70.3 World Championship has been held on European soil, after Zell am See-Kaprun (Austria) in 2015 and Nice (France) in 2019.

The election was announced today on a worldwide broadcast in which Finnish sports stars celebrated the victory alongside Iron Man figures.

“When we look to the future of IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship racing, with St. George, Utah, Tobo, New Zealand and now Lahti, Finland, we have some of the most unique and unique destinations for athletes to test their courage and performance.” Said Andrew Messick, President and CEO of Iron Man Group. “It gives us great pleasure to be able to introduce Finland, its rich sporting history and beautiful landscapes to the world through this event in 2023.”

“We are extremely proud and happy to welcome the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti in 2023. We have a long history of hosting international sporting events and strive to provide a world-class environment for athletes and fans alike.” Beka Timonen, Mayor of Lahti said: “Our goal is to share this The unique experience together. “

Lahti is located about 100 kilometers northeast of the state capital, Helsinki, the northernmost and easternmost capital of Europe. The region surrounding Finland lends a reputation as a “land of a thousand lakes” with many interconnected lakes, which has recently been dubbed “The Green Capital of Europe 2021”. Once visitors reach Lahti, everything is within walking distance, including the city’s transportation hub, restaurants, shopping and hotels.

Lahti is also considered the sporting capital of Finland – a unique award for a country that hosted the 1952 Olympic Games and many other world-famous sporting events. Lahti is also a six-time host of the Scandinavian World Figure Skating Championships.

Now the city of 120,000 wants to make a name for itself in summer sports. Thanks to its reputation as one of the most stable countries in Europe – the highest point in Finland is Halti in Northern Lapland – athletes can expect a flat and fast race track amidst the unique Finnish nature.

After pre-selection from a number of potential host countries, both Klagenfurt (Austria) and Lahti (Finland) made the final selection, from which Lahti emerged as the winner.

“We couldn’t be happier with the finalists, and although our athletes definitely liked both locations, we are happy to bring the Ironman World Championship 70.3 to Finland for the first time,” said Diana Birch, Senior Vice President of the World. Tournament events in Iron Man group. Since the Ironman World Championship rotated 70.3 in 2014 and introduced a two-day layout in 2017, the event has seen significant growth in global competition. The opportunity to face new physical challenges against major competitors in as varied as it is beautiful are the staples we want for the athletes in the IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. We look forward to continuing this in Lahti, Finland, in 2023. “

“We had two big cities nominated each for this unique event,” said Stefan Pitchnig, Ironman’s Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “I thank everyone who participated in the requests from Klagenfurt and Lahti. Congratulations to Lee and Finland. We look forward very much to welcoming the best athletes in the world to Finland in 2023.”

The next edition of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship will take place on 17 and 18 September 2021 in St. George, Utah, USA, followed by Taube, New Zealand on 10 and 11 December 2022.

More updates on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship.

For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global series of events visit www.ironman.com.