Two thousand athletes on their way to West Friesland for ‘sweltering hot’ triathlon Ironman

West Friesland is under the spell of the biggest sporting event of the year this weekend, in which about 2,000 participants from the Netherlands and abroad participate. “Half of the participants come from the Netherlands, the other half from abroad. With more than 60 nationalities. England, Germany, France. They are all on their way here,” says Ironman project manager Rick van Duin.

This morning and tomorrow the final preparations will be made in the Julianapark in Hoorn, where the start and finish will be for the first time.

All matches take place on one day. On Sunday at 07:00 the Ironman 70.3 starts in Hoorn and there are road closures throughout West Friesland. There are three different distances that are covered. The Ironman Kids already started this afternoon, in which 220 children participated.

Not only does the triathlon generate a lot of international attention, it also provided a major economic boost last year. Then brought Ironman about 1.3 million euros in the late part of the region. Participants had to move to Alkmaar for a place to sleep and the catering industry was also busy. They are hiring extra staff this year.

30 degrees

It will be warm next Sunday. It is expected to be 30 degrees and with that the heat protocols will come into effect. There are water tanks and tents along the route where healthy food is distributed. In case of overheating, an ice bath is available for the participants.

“Hopefully the wind along the dike at the city beach will also bring some cooling,” says Rick van Duin, project manager of Ironman Westfriesland. His urgent advice: “Keep drinking water, but also make sure you get enough salt and eat enough, such as energy bars and fruit. You can get that all along the route.”

He has been involved in the sporting event for five years. After a career as an architect in America, he returned to Zwaag to organize Ironman. “As a triathlete, I think it’s great to be able to do this. Especially because I come from here. The unique thing is the charm and character of West Friesland, swimming into the harbor of Hoorn with all the beautiful buildings.”

Improved track

The course has been improved this year: in the harbor of Hoorn, especially the swimming course has been adjusted. The bicycle course has largely remained the same and the running course goes up the Westerdijk. “Beautiful, of course, along the new city beach. That is not only cooling with the wind, but also a cool sight.”

At 07:00 in the morning, the first swimmers will start in the harbor of Hoorn from the harbor of water sports association WSV. The public can come and have a look around the harbour. “The last cyclist arrives around 1 p.m., after which everything is open again. That does not mean that everything is constantly closed, it is done in parts.”

On this map can find the exact route and an overview of all road closures in the region.