TAMPA, Fla. (April 8, 2014) – IRONMAN announced today that it has chosen Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria to host the 2015 IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship triathlon. The championship race will be held on August 30, 2015 and marks the first time that the IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship will be held in Europe.

Unique to the 2015 World Championship weekend, IRONMAN will host two races. The first race on Saturday, August 29, 2015 will be the fourth IRONMAN® 70.3® Zell am See-Kaprun triathlon. The following day, more than 2,000 elite athletes from around the world who have earned their chance to compete will tackle the very same course aiming to become 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champions.

“As we continue to rotate the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon to locations across the globe, we are thrilled to be bringing the 2015 race into the heart of Europe,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN. “Zell am See-Kaprun provides a technically challenging and beautiful course that is fitting for a World Championship event. With the distinctive two-race format, we expect a fan-friendly festival atmosphere that promises to be a marquee event in our 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 race series.”

The dual-race format isn’t the only new addition. After introducing a two-loop course at the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun in 2012, the 2014 race will feature a new one-loop bike course that will take athletes on a spectacular journey through the middle of the Austrian Alps, climbing up to 1,280 meters above sea level.

Located only an hour’s drive from Salzburg, Zell am See-Kaprun is located in the beautiful Austrian Alps. As athletes swim 1.2 miles, bike 56-miles and run 13.1 miles, they will enjoy the crystal-clear water of Lake Zell along with breathtaking views of mountain meadows and glacier-covered peaks.

“I am extremely proud to welcome the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship athletes to Zell am See-Kaprun in the State of Salzburg. We look forward to hosting athletes from all over the world and my congratulations go out to the organizing committee who has done a wonderful job developing the World Championship bid,” said Wilfried Haslauer, Governor of the State of Salzburg.

“Located in the very heart of the SalzburgerLand state, Zell am See-Kaprun offers perfect sports and recreational infrastructure, easy accessibility and beautiful surroundings. We strongly believe that the athletes will come as guests and leave as friends,” adds Andreas Winkelhofer, Marketing Director of the SalzburgerLand Tourism Corporation.

“Our goal was to become one of Europe’s premier triathlon hotspots. After having hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun race twice and what will be a third time on August 31, 2014, the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is the pinnacle of our efforts,” said Renate Ecker, Managing Director of the Zell am See-Kaprun Tourism Board.

“Some of the world’s finest triathletes are European-trained and it’s a dream come true for us to have them compete for the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship here in Austria. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who submitted bids to host the race; it was an extremely difficult decision. We strongly believe that this event will become a milestone in the history of our sport and resonate throughout the global triathlon community. Our goal is to set a benchmark for a Championship race and we can’t wait to get to work to create a unique atmosphere for our pros, age-group athletes and spectators,” added Thomas Dieckhoff, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship race will be held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada on September 7, 2014. Nearly 120,000 athletes will participate in the global IRONMAN 70.3 Series during the 2014-2015 season, which consists of over 70 events in locations such as Australia, Japan, Spain and South Africa. Each age-group winner at the 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship race will automatically qualify for the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.