Is it today it’s being announced?
I don’t know if it is today, tomorrow or Dec 31 2026 when they tell us that if you did some random ride on Rouvy they are mailing you a 2026 finisher medal if you can also upload a strave file for a 1.9km swim and 21.1km run and submite $1000 for your retro enrty fee haha !!!
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Could it be possible they are waiting until they know what’s happening with the full IMWC? The delay could give credence to the theory about IM trying to get out of Nice via a 70.3 WC in lieu of the full. Seems more likely they are just dragging their feet to me IMO.
Ya, any number of issues, right down to the video marketing guy keeps getting tweak requests to his drafts requiring another day of work.
IMO, the most likely scenario is that they know where its going, but whatever town council or jurisdiction is dragging its feet at the final approval.
The newly revamped website says for Musselman (I just picked this as its one of the first in the cycle) “This event offers Age Group Qualifying slots to the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Please note, slot allocations for the 2026 event will be determined in the near future.”
Obviously “near future” is corporate speak for whatever timeframe they need it to be, but hopefully we get something soon
Timbasile that sounds about right. I have entered Busselton Western Australia 70.3 (local race) but it’s not until Dec 2025 and don’t want to put all my eggsl in one basket, but don’t want to enter anything else sooner until I know where it is. Given the price of international flights from Perth to everywhere else in the world. Least I can fly Busselton to Melbourne and Sydney (Jetstar) for a reasonable cost for qualifiers but with even qualifiers so far apart in distance makes it costly, the sooner I know the better.
Why is it not big enough? Taupo has a population of 40,000 but Swansea is 246,000 and isn’t it fairly close to Cardiff? With Bristol not even so far away so very accessible. I’ve never been to Swansea or Wales for that matter but really do think that area would have a lot to offer, course, hills scenery etc. and let’s not forget the known friendliness of the Welsh people.
It isn’t the size of the town it is the size of the existing course. They will have to change it radically to be a WC course with +2500 athletes.
As Sheridan says, it’s not the off course resources it’s the course itself. The run course is great (hosts one of UK’s top 10k races btw (and my 10km PB)) and very spectator friendly/accessible. But the bike course has to go into the scenic Gower: some of the roads are narrow (image below) and some have to be two way. For numbers: impractical. For a regular 70.3 (and the IM Pro Series is going there on 13 July - see you there) fine.
The swim has to be in a dock (can’t be a sea swim) and the Prince of Wales dock would be super-strained to cope with the number in the busier AG waves and the short interval between.
@timbasile Muskoka also says the same thing as Mussselman (I am registered for Muskoka it is convenient all things considered). The more I think about it, I prefer if they don’t even announce the date by Muskoka. Then we go to slot allocation and people will just say, “I am not taking a slot unless I know where I am going”.
The reality is, I did 70.3 Worlds in Clearwater, Vegas, Tremblant, Zell Am See, St. George, Lahti, Taupo…I had a good time at all of them (even the shit show at Clearwater…it’s still a nice place to go too). Whatever spot they pick is going to be nice enough and if I am in rolldown position at Muskoka I will have 1+ years to get my act together to take time off from work and travel wherever on earth they put it…maybe I would not be thrilled with a 70.3 worlds in Antarctica, and I THINK I would probably be dissappointed if the 70.3 worlds 2026 ends up in Kona just because of the price gouging !!!
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Thank you, yes I totally hear you on this. I am a Scottish Australian and note Scotland doesn’t even have a 70.3 Ironman on the calendar probably due to suitability.
There was one in Edinburgh (loosely) in 2017 and 2018. My understanding is that it was cancelled due to the number of entrants (it had around 1600 in 2017, dropping to 850 in 2018). The general narrative about this seems to be that rough water in 2017 put people off entering in 2018 (the DNF stats don’t back this up but there was one particular photo of a large wave which was widely shared and may have influenced things). Bike finished with a nice climb up Arthur’s Seat and the run was laps in Holyrood Park. A tough course but a good challenge - it’s a real shame it was discontinued.
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Lol, Dev - I think you’re probably one of the few people who’d take a WC slot without knowing where it is or what date it’s being held on.
Maybe once my wife is retired and the kids are grown up.
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Yeah, I would take a slot a year out to 70.3 worlds not knowing the date or the location. While I am not retired, I don’t have family responsibilities and a year out is plenty of time for me to organize my work life, so yes, it is to my advantage if no one knows where it is when it comes to rolldown!!! And I literally spend any discretionary money not going into groceries, utilities, comms or investments into racing or travel, so my “budget” is already allocated. But literally all the guys in my age group (now 60-64) who are even considering a 70.3 slot are in the same scenario. They just may not take a slot if they don’t knwo where it is!!!
When I was you age this was not an option!
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If it was just me I’d be fine - my work has no blackout dates for vacation and if you’re blocking far enough in advance it doesn’t matter.
But watch out before you accept your roll down… This thing could be in Kazakhstan for all we know!
[quote=“timbasile, post:95, topic:849412, full:true”
But watch out before you accept your roll down… This thing could be in Kazakhstan for all we know!
[/quote]
That would be awesome! I’d get the Bikepacking bike and trailer and make a tour out of it.
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Swansea or Poland is what I’m hearing.
Poland? Feed me the gossip please!
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You know if it was there or Poland I’m going to do my best to go. Sounds epic.
Or they could revive IM 70.3 Odessa Ukraine. Would be a fantastic spot without Vlad creating trouble. There was a 70.3 there back around 2016 time frame. half joking half hoping this stupid war would end (or never happened)
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