Ironman 70.3 Hawaii

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii has quickly become a favorite race for an international field of age-groupers and professionals. In a race where every detail is meticulously attended to, athletes are invited to explore the Big Island's breathtaking Kohala Coast while at the same time getting in touch with their own physical and inner strength. The result is the experience of a lifetime that lingers long after muscle aches and pains have gone away.

Start the day with a swim in the warm, clear waters of Hapuna Beach State Park, recognized as one of the world's best beaches. This half-mile long, white sand crescent-shaped bay is the home of honu (sea turtles), tropical fish, manta rays, and happy vacationers from around the globe.

On the bike course, follow the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean north along the famed Queen Ka'ahumanu highway. Rich in Hawaiian history and culture, this coast is the birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great - the first Hawaiian king to unite all the islands. Each winter, the regal humpback whales use the sparkling, deep waters off the coast as their mating and birthing grounds. Triathletes who ride this road say there is a power in this land that challenges them not only to their physical best but also requires inner fitness - the willingness to be open to the conditions the island extends on race day.

The run takes place among the grounds of the exquisitely luxurious The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, the host hotel of the 70.3 Hawaii. Competitors run by Hawaiian petroglyph fields, fishponds and tidal pools, along rugged coastline, through crusty lava fields hundreds of years old and across world-class golf course greens manicured daily. Not a course for the faint of heart, athletes are treated to constantly changing terrain, short hills around every turn and Hawaii's overpowering heat and humidity.

From start to finish, racers are surrounded by the aloha of the island, represented by hundreds of experienced and enthusiastic volunteers and the impeccable The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii staff. The race offers age-group qualifying slots for the Ford Ironman World Championship as well as the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 presented by Ford. An award of a different kind comes from offering oneself up to the challenge of racing on the Big Island, and of taking advantage of its beauty to recuperate from the adventure