Over 1000 participants register for India’s first-ever IRONMAN 70.3

Panaji (Goa): With a zealous vision to make top International events accessible for aspiring triathletes in the country, Yoska – a fit-tech company based in Bengaluru – will host India’s first-ever IRONMAN 70.3 to be held in the picturesque beach town of Panaji, Goa on 20 October 2019.

IRONMAN 70.3 Goa where participants will have to swim 1.9KM, cycle 90KM and run 21.1KM has received an overwhelming response with over 1000 participants from about 27 countries registering for the prestigious triathlon. “It was our dream to bring IRONMAN to India and provide the fast-growing triathlete community in the country an opportunity to race at home,” stated Deepak Raj, leading Indian Amateur Triathlete and Co–Founder of Yoska.

“It was overwhelming to see the interest among International athletes as it not only gives them a first-time opportunity to race in India but also experience Goa’s hospitality and enjoy its beautiful beaches. This being the first edition, we had to limit the registrations to a little over 1000 participants and Bengaluru alone has over 150 triathletes who have registered for the event with several others from Delhi NCR region and Mumbai".

"This reflects the growing popularity of triathlon in India,” added Deepak, an inspiration who transformed from being a 95-kilo obese tech professional to a supremely fit amateur triathlete having completed 20 full-distance IRONMAN events. He has also represented India at the 2017 IRONMAN World Championships.

Adding to Deepak’s views, Rudra Prasad Nanjundappa, an amateur runner and Co-Founder of Yoska, said, “With just a little over eight weeks left for race-day, our entire team is excited and eager to host a world-class event in Goa. We are delighted to receive tremendous support from the Government of Goa, and its officials who are working tirelessly towards making this destination sport a big success in its debut year in India"/

"The participation list includes an array of people, some of whom are doctors, CXOs, tech-professionals, full-time mothers among others. We believe each of these participants will be a celebrity and a role model whose story will inspire thousands of Indians to prioritise their fitness in whatever little way they can.”

Commenting on the inaugural edition, Geoff Meyer, Managing Director, IRONMAN Asia said, “This is a huge milestone in the sport. The entire IRONMAN team and I are thrilled to launch the first ever IRONMAN race in Incredible India. We’ve seen a constant upward trend in the participation of Indian athletes in our races all over the world in the past years.

"IRONMAN 70.3 Goa, India was designed specially to quench the thirst for endurance sport events among these athletes, by bringing their favourite race right to their backyard. We are thrilled to explore this new opportunity and look forward to our first race in India,” he concluded.