Cross-border Ironman Maastricht—Limburg drawing more competitors this year
The second Ironman Maastricht—Limburg, which will start and finish in Maastricht on 31 July 2016, will be every bit as gruelling as the first one last year. “That goes for both the bike course and the run course,” says the reigning men’s winner after his first course inspection today. “The organisers may have scrapped the steep climb up Cauberg Hill, but tackling Côte de Hallembaye twice is quite a challenge, not to mention running up St Pietersberg four times.”
Ironman Maastricht—Limburg 2016 is clearly attracting more attention than last year. More than 1800 athletes are expected to take up the challenge of swimming 3.8 kilometres, cycling 180 kilometres, and running 42.2 kilometres on Sunday 31 July. The number of competitors in 2015 was 900. This year’s event is also likely to draw more spectators than last year’s.
Bilzen
In this year’s Ironman Maastricht—Limburg, part of the bike course has been altered to take in the Belgian municipality of Bilzen, which has signed on as a partner. Another new partner is the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten, adding a steep climb up Bemelerberg to the route. The 180-kilometre course, consisting of two 90-kilometre loops, no longer includes Cauberg Hill in Valkenburg or the Sportzone in Sittard-Geleen. Instead, competitors will cycle through the undulating Belgian border region. The deciding factors in the bike course are Geulhemmerberg in Valkenburg, Bemelerberg in Eijsden-Margraten, and Côte de Hallembaye in the Belgian municipality of Bassenge. The marathon is a four-loop course of just over 10.5 kilometres. It goes past André Rieu’s home, up over St Pietersberg and along Vrijthof Square in Maastricht, finishing like last year’s race in the Market Square. The river Meuse will once again be the setting for the 3.8-kilometre swim, starting at Griend Park and ending at the Provincial Government Buildings.
Bas Diederen spent this morning inspecting a section of the course with a few other pro athletes, including Martin Dekker and Sarissa de Vries (second place women’s in 2015). “The Belgian part of the bike course is hillier, more uneven. But I know those roads. I trained there a lot when I lived in Maastricht. The run course is also harder this year, with four loops over St Pietersberg. The amateurs will certainly find this tough, but it definitely appeals to me.”
International
Ironman Triathlon is one of the biggest and most international endurance sporting events in the world. Last year, the organisers signed a three-year contract with the City of Maastricht, the Province of Limburg and the City of Valkenburg, bringing the event to the Benelux for the first time ever. This year, more than fifty nationalities will toe the starting line, with spectators from all around the world.
After their inspection tour, the athletes met with the press, the organisers, and the partner municipalities at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium. Bas Diederen refused to speculate about the results. “I’m not in peak condition yet, but I’m going to do my best to be the first to cross the finish line again. It’s very special competing in this race before the home crowd. I really felt that last year.”
Spin-off
Preparations for Ironman Triathlon are well under way. At least 1300 volunteers will be deployed during the race on Sunday. They will guide traffic, ensure that the course is free of obstacles, and hand the competitors some 150,000 cups of water and 30,000 water-soaked sponges.
“This year’s event will be even more successful than 2015,” says race director Emiel Frambach. “There are many more competitors and we expect bigger crowds of spectators too. All this will do a lot to showcase Limburg as a top region for sport. I’m also delighted about our partnership with Bilzen. Our region is all about crossing borders, so it’s an important step.”
There will be two side events in the run-up to the race on Sunday: the Maastricht Sport Ironman Night Run on Friday evening and the Maastricht Sport Ironkids finals on Saturday.
Starting shot
The starting shot for Ironman Maastricht—Limburg 2016 will go off in Griend Park at 7 a.m. on 31 July. The male pro athletes will enter the water first, followed by the female pros ten minutes later. Next up will be the age groups and then the relay racers. The first finishers should reach the finish line in Maastricht’s Market Square at around 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/maastricht.