30 Kona Slots up for Grabs at Lixil Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) has announced that general entry registration for the third annual Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan will open on Jan. 31, 2012.   With this being the only Ironman World Championship qualifier in the region, race organisers have added additional entries; however, as in previous years, a sell-out is anticipated within just a few hours.

Scheduled for June 24, 2012, Lixil Ironman 70.3 Centrair Tokoname Japan will be staged in and around the Centrair International Airport, providing easy access to the race for visitors travelling from across the globe with direct flights from Singapore, Frankfurt and Detroit. Athletes will begin the race with a point-to-point swim at Ise Bay in the Pacific Ocean. The 1.5-loop bike course will see some changes in 2012, leading to a smoother and faster route through Tokoname city. The final leg of the course features a spectator friendly one-loop run with athletes finishing on the beach.

The event is one of nearly 60 in the global Ironman 70.3 Series, offering 25 age group qualifying slots for the 2012 Ironman World Championship 70.3, to be held on Sept. 9, 2012, at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev.   The event date was moved earlier in the season to accommodate the addition of 30 coveted age group qualifying slots to the 2012 Ironman World Championship, scheduled for Oct. 13, 2012, in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.   These slots will give Asia-Pacific athletes additional opportunities to make it to the starting line on Ali’i Drive in Kona. Professional athletes will be competing for a prize purse of $15,000.