ĐÀ NẴNG (VNS) — Powerful athletes will race in the VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam in the coastal central city on May 8.

The competition organiser, Sunrise Events Việt Nam, said the race, which was introduced last year in the city, would see athletes from around the world competing in a 1.9km ocean swim, a two-loop 90km bike race and a 21km run along the coastline of Đà Nẵng.

Organisers said athletes would be treated to a fast and scenic course that begins with an ocean swim in front of the Hyatt Regency Đà Nẵng Resort & Spa followed by a bike course that passes many of Đà Nẵng’s famous beach resorts and runs along the city’s coastline.

The final race course will take in several of the city’s key landmarks, with a dramatic finish on the beach at the Hyatt.

The athletes will take at least eight hours to finish the muscle sport race in the city’s hot tropical weather.

The 2016 VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam serves as a qualifying race for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, and the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in Mactan, Cebu, Philippines.

Forty-six qualifying slots based on age group for the world championship and 44 slots for the Asia Pacific championship races are at stake, including exclusive slots in each for the top Vietnamese male and female finishers.

Last year, the race drew over 1,000 athletes from 54 countries and territories.

James Cunnama from South Africa and Caroline Steffen from Switzerland won the men’s and women’s VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam last year.

Việt Nam is the 30th country in the world and the eighth Asia-Pacific country to host an Ironman triathlon. — VNS