The triathletes of the world have voted and Nutri-Grain IRONMAN® New Zealand has come out on top as Oceania events
enjoyed great recognition in the 2019 IRONMAN Athlete Choice Awards.
Nutri-Grain IRONMAN® New Zealand topped the charts with athletes naming it the number one IRONMAN event in 2019,
receiving an overall satisfaction rating of 98.34%, while IRONMAN events in South Africa and Sweden rounded out the top
three.
Taking place in Taupō this weekend, the event is celebrating its 36th running in 2020, making it the longest running
IRONMAN event outside of the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawai`i. Those wanting to join the action can watch live
through the IRONMAN Now Facebook page.
Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand also topped the rankings in the Overall Venue Experience and Overall Host City
Experience categories showcasing what athletes can expect not only this weekend, but also in November when Taupō, New
Zealand hosts this year’s IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship.
Additionally, IRONMAN Australia which will be celebrating its 35th anniversary came in at number one in the Overall Swim
Experience and Attend Next Year’s Event categories.
Dave Beeche, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Oceania for The IRONMAN Group, said that the region was
proud of the results.
“We’re thrilled that Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand has been identified as the number one IRONMAN event in the world in
2019,” said Beeche. “There were 40 qualifying IRONMAN events held around the world last year, all of which strive to
provide the best experience for everyone involved, and it’s great to see our local event being recognised by our
athletes in this way.
“Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand has a proud and rich history deeply rooted in Taupō and we look forward to welcoming a
stellar field of triathletes to the region once again this weekend and the world’s best later in November,” he said. “It
was also great to see IRONMAN Australia topping two categories, as we look forward to celebrate the 35th anniversary of
the event this May.”
Oceania also excelled in the results for IRONMAN 70.3 events, with five of the nine categories topped by events in
either Australia or New Zealand.
IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia was number one in the Overall Swim Experience category, with IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie
topping the Post Race Celebration Experience and Overall Venue Experience. IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast was the winner in
the Overall Host City Experience category while IRONMAN 70.3 Taupō was number one in the Overall Bike Experience.
“Our IRONMAN 70.3 events continue to grow in the region, and we are committed to providing an exceptional experience for
all those who take part,” said Beeche. “It was great to see the athletes respond to the work we are doing with our
events in Western Australia, Port Macquarie, Sunshine Coast and Taupō topping five of the categories.”
Additional details regarding the IRONMAN Athlete Choice Awards:For every IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race, event surveys were sent post event to all athletes who competed. Surveys
encompassed the respective areas in the attached. Based on the cumulative results, the Top 10 global events were ranked.Surveys are on a five-point satisfaction scale.There were over 60,000 total respondents for the survey.
To view the full list of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Athlete Choice Award results, please visit www.ironman.com/news_article/show/1090772
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
The full IRONMAN Group Oceania 2020 calendar can be found here.