Vietnam scraps Ironman triathlon over Covid-19 risks

The announcement came via Facebook on Thursday, stating the 6th edition of Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, which was initially scheduled for May 10 in Da Nang and postponed to September, would not take place this year.

The race would return on May 9, 2021, it said.

The 6th edition of Ironman 70.3 Vietnam was supposed to provide athletes 56 slots at Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Scheduled for late November in Taupo, New Zealand the latter too has been canceled.

Next year's champs will occur on September 17-18 in the U.S., with the Taupo edition to return in December 2022.

Ironman 70.3 is the largest and most reputed triathlon in Vietnam with a prize pool of $15,000. Last year's event attracted over 2,200 local and international athletes, with Germany’s Patrick Lange, a two-time world champion, triumphant in a time of three hours and 49.09 minutes.

Vietnam has reported 298 domestic Covid-19 cases since July 25, when community infections reemerged. Of these, 193 were recorded in epicenter Da Nang.