Jeremy Lebeuf

Feature Writer

A record number of athletes are set to sweat it out on Sunday 6 June for the tenth anniversary of the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship.

The pinnacle event of the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival will highlight the regions beautiful surrounds that will be beamed around the world as elite competitors tackle the gruelling race.

Dubbed the ‘Race in Paradise’ takes participants along the stunning Great Barrier Reef Drive during the bike component from Cairns turning around in Port Douglas that will involve changed traffic conditions in the Douglas Shire.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said locals have an opportunity to catch all the action on Port Douglas Road.

“We welcome thousands of athletes cycling up the Great Barrier Reef Drive and into our beautiful region,” he said. “I believe we can try to make the most out of this year’s event and increase its flow-on benefits in future years.

“This is a great time of the year for events with the town buzzing after a hugely successful Port Douglas Carnivale and National Reconciliation Week,” he said. “From 10 am to 3pm, the section of Port Douglas Road from Barrier Street to Old Port Road will be the place to watch all the action.”

The 2021 event is set to be the largest IRONMAN Cairns on record with athletes from across Australia and New Zealand heading to the region often spending time before and after the event to make a holiday out of it.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it was the perfect time of year in the Tropical North for IRONMAN Cairns.

“The weather is usually spot on at this of year in Cairns for major events like the IRONMAN,” Mr Hinchliffe said. “Events are an important part of our economic recovery plan for the Tropical North.

“With this year’s IRONMAN billed by organisers as a sell-out, we’re expecting to see thousands of extra visitors in town for the weekend to deliver more than $10 million to the Cairns economy,” he said. “Not only does Cairns offer a spectacular course for competitors, there are also plenty of world-class visitor experiences from the reef to the rainforest for spectators to discover.

“For first-class sport and holiday experiences, winter in Cairns is Australia’s favourite destination,” he said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of IRONMAN Cairns, and The IRONMAN Group Oceania Regional Director Rob Stalling is looking forward to welcoming athletes back to the region.

“We can’t wait to see a record number of athletes take part in IRONMAN Cairns this weekend,” said Stalling. “It’s great to see so many athletes return to Cairns and our team looks forward to welcoming them across the finish line as they achieve their goals.”