Ironman Group has announced Rwanda as the latest Ironman 70.3 Triathlon destination after being added to the 2022 race calendar.

The race, dubbed Ironman 70.3 Rwanda, is the newest race added on the Ironman 2022 calendar, with the inaugural edition taking place on August 14 in Rubavu District, Western Province.

The ‘70.3’ refers to the total distance in miles covered by participants, consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.

It will be followed by two consecutive editions in 2023 and 2024, with Rubavu remaining the host city of the annual event.

Sports minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju describes having Rwanda added to the Ironman 2022 race calendar as a vote of confidence to the country’s continued efforts in positioning itself as a sports destination of choice.

Munyangaju said that Rwanda, together with the organisers, will deliver a memorable event just like the country did during the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Afrobasket and ICC World Cup qualifiers last year.

"On behalf of the government of Rwanda, be assured that all the necessary will be done for the event to be held to the best of everyone's expectations. Together with the organisers, we shall deliver a memorable Ironman event,” she said at the event launch in Rubavu on Thursday.

Before the official launch of the event, Serge Pereira, the CEO of Starstone, met President Paul Kagame on Wednesday to discuss their plans about bringing the race to Rwanda.

Pereira said, during the race launch, that the beauty and nature of the country during his previous visits as a tourist and, most importantly, the story of Rwanda’s journey to a pacey rebuild inspired him to add the country to the Ironman 70.3 race calendar.

"As we came here a few times ago to discover the gorillas, we also discovered this place here in Rubavu and we came up with this idea of how we can expose it to the rest of the world,” Pereira said.

"Thinking of the best option to do it, we came to realise that Ironman would be a big sport event that can successfully help in sharing the beauty of Rwanda with the world,” he added  

Athletes participating in Ironman 70.3 Rwanda will take on a 1.9km swim at the waterfront of Lake Kivu, a 90km bike course, and a multi-lap 21.1km run course that spans the shoreline of Lake Kivu.

The tournament, scheduled for August 14, is expected to attract between 1,500 and 2,000 participants from different countries across the globe.

According to Nelly Mukazayire, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), having Rwanda as the latest Ironman 70.3 race destination shows how far the country has come to establish itself as the home of sports.

"Having Ironman 70.3 in Rwanda is really exciting. The milestone is going to give a lot of visibility to the race destination. It is a unique opportunity for us, both in sports and business aspects.”

Besides Rwanda, only three other African countries – South Africa, Morocco and Egypt – will be home to Ironman 70.3 events this year.