Preparations for the inaugural Ironman Triathlon race are in high gear with 200 athletes from different countries across the globe now confirmed to participate.

The highly-anticipated race, slated for August 14 in Rubavu, is one of a series of long distance triathlon races organised by the World Triathlon Corporation.

Rubavu was approved as the race host city after Ironman Group in January added Rwanda on the 2022 race calendar of the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. 

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

With the race just weeks away from kick off, registration is ongoing as athletes sign up as a team of three where each team member can participate in their favorite part of the triathlon.

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.

Ordinarily, most Ironman events have a limited time of 16 or 17 hours to complete the race, depending on the course.

The mandatory cut off time to complete the 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, while the mandatory bike cut off time for when an athlete must have completed their swim, transition and bike varies generally between 10 hours and 10 hours 30 minutes.

Any participant who completes the triathlon within these time constraints is designated an Ironman.

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