This year the Finnish city of Lahti will host the best of the best when it comes to IRONMAN 70.3 racing. Expect exciting competition and super-fast times in one of the flattest countries in Europe.
2022 saw Kristian Blummenfelt and Lucy Charles-Barclay win IRONMAN 70.3 world championship titles with dominant displays in St George, Utah. This year it’s the northernmost venue on the IRONMAN 70.3 world circuit that will host the pinnacle
event on the half-distance calendar.
The city of Lahti lies at the gateway to the Finnish Lake District, or Lakeland as it is known.
It’s easily accessible from Helsinki by car, train or bus, and once you’re in the town, you can easily get around on foot.
Outside the city you’ll find the Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark, comprising hundreds
of interconnected lakes and long, distinct ridges created by sediment deposited by glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. This is a landscape dominated by water, and the city integrates around it, with lakeside bars, restaurants and cafés offering unique views.
Known as the sporting capital of Finland, Lahti is famed for its winter sports events, with annual championship ski races and other games on the Salpauss ridges. It’s also a popular IRONMAN destination, where its lake swim and flat bike and run courses have earned it a reputation as a great venue for first-timers.
The Lahti region was voted as one of the Best European Destinations 2022 and the European
Best Sustainable Destination 2022 by the European Best Destination travel website. You’ll
see why – it’s pristine, and taking care of the lakes and surrounding nature is a job the region’s people take quite seriously.
A flat and fast race: With its reputation as one of the flattest countries in Europe – Finland’s highest point is Halti in Northern Lapland – World Champ athletes can expect a flat and fast course through the green and blue landscape of Lakeland. The swim is one loop in Lake
Vesijärvi, close to the ferry terminal, and generally has a great atmosphere thanks to crowd support along the nearby shoreline. While start times haven’t yet been announced for the World Champs race, the IRONMAN 70.3 Lahti usually starts mid-afternoon, so that you race into the long northern summer’s night, where it only gets dusk around the midnight cut-off.
The bike is scenic, smooth and speedy – one big loop on good roads through the countryside, with fans cheering you on. The two-loop run is very flat on asphalt and gravel surfaces that lead you along the lakeside to a finish at the city’s famous Sibelius Hall.
Can we expect records to fall come August?
