QUẢNG NINH — The IRONMAN Group has announced the launch of the IRONMAN 70.3 Ha Long Bay triathlon, adding a spectacular destination on Việt Nam’s northern coast to its global race calendar.

Scheduled for March 21, 2027, the inaugural event will welcome athletes from Việt Nam and around the world to race against the extraordinary backdrop of Hạ Long Bay, renowned for its limestone towers, forested islands and distinctive seascape.

Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 and 2000, Hạ Long Bay will provide athletes and supporters with an unforgettable setting for the newest addition to Vietnam’s growing endurance sports calendar. The event will also encourage participants to extend their stay and experience the bay, local cuisine and the wider attractions of Quảng Ninh and northern Việt Nam.

The addition of the Hạ Long triathlon builds on the continued growth of triathlon in Việt Nam and expands the IRONMAN 70.3 event series into a new region of the country.

“We are incredibly excited to launch the IRONMAN 70.3 Ha Long Bay triathlon and welcome our global community to this extraordinary destination. Hạ Long is an extraordinary destination, with its iconic limestone landscape, rich culture and warm hospitality creating a truly memorable setting for athletes, their families and supporters,” said Michelle Pepper, managing director for Asia-Pacific for the IRONMAN Group.

“We look forward to working with SEV and our destination partners to deliver a world-class event that showcases the very best of the region to the global IRONMAN community.”

Bằng Trịnh, co-founder and chairman of Sunrise Events Vietnam (SEV), said the new event would bring the best of the world to Việt Nam while showcasing the best of the region internationally.

“Bringing the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon to Hạ Long represents another important step in the development of endurance sports in Việt Nam," he said.

"What began with our first event in Đà Nẵng in 2015 has grown into a vibrant community of athletes, partners and supporters across the country. Expanding into northern Việt Nam gives us another opportunity to connect communities through sport while showcasing the region to the world.

"Together with The IRONMAN Group, our government partners and the local community, we look forward to establishing an event that athletes can be proud of and that contributes to the long-term development of sport and tourism in the region.”

A spectacular new experience

The IRONMAN 70.3 Ha Long Bay triathlon will challenge athletes across a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21.1km run.

From the sands of Hòn Gai Beach to a coastal road overlooking limestone islands, the planned course brings athletes to the meeting point of Hạ Long’s city waterfront and its extraordinary seascape. 

Race day begins on Hòn Gai Beach, where athletes will enter the bay from the sand and return to the same shore, with a transition waiting just beyond the beach. This waterfront venue anchors the day, from the anticipation before the swim to the achievement of crossing the finish line. 

On the coastal sections of Trần Quốc Nghiễn, the view opens across the water to the limestone formations that give Hạ Long its unmistakable character. These stretches offer a different perspective on the destination: the bay seen from the saddle, with rocky islands offshore and the city’s waterfront tracing the shoreline. 

The planned IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon run follows the waterfront past seaside parks and the striking black-glass Quảng Ninh Museum and Library complex. The museum’s bold, reflective façade adds a distinctive architectural landmark to a course shaped by water and limestone.

Hạ Long is accessible via Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội, Vân Đồn International Airport in Quảng Ninh and Cát Bi International Airport in Hải Phòng, providing domestic and international travel options for athletes and their supporters.

The IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon on March 21 will be preceded by a 5150 triathlon, Sprint Distance triathlon, and IRONKIDS events on March 20, creating an action-packed multisport, multiday festival.

The registration opens on November 4. More information can be found at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-ha-long-bay. — VNS