Ironman hits target

The 2012 Ironman 70.3 Busselton will have the biggest field in the event’s history, after an expanded number of entries has reached full capacity.

The team component of 500 teams, consisting of 1350 competitors, sold out on Wednesday, bringing the total participants to 3000.

It followed the 1650 individual entries selling out in a record four hours last October.

Triathlon WA executive officer Hayley Lethlean said numbers had been nearly doubled after making some small changes to “logistics and timing” and the event, held on the first weekend of May, was the biggest of its type in Australia.

“This is an exciting time for our sport and for the town of Busselton, especially during non-peak tourism season, when the event attracts thousands of visitors to this great location,” she said.

TWA officials praised Busselton’s strong community spirit to support both world-class half and full triathlons during the year in the ideal racing environment of Geographe Bay and fast flat roads for the cycle leg.

Busselton Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ray McMillan said he believed TWA had restructured the event well, starting the teams four hours later than individuals to reduce traffic congestion, rather than running the race on two days.

“It’s a bit longer than would normally be required in the present format but this makes it more achievable in terms of recruiting volunteers,” he told the Times.

“If they follow through and do split times it will accommodate the numbers a lot more efficiently.”

Mr McMillan said the benefits for Busselton were not just on race day, but through more athletes arriving to train in the lead-up to the event.