The half iron man, also known the world over as Ironman 70.3, is among the series of middle-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 1.2 mile swimming, a 56 mile cycling, and 13.1 mile running totaling to 70.3 miles covered distance in the continuous and sequential endurance event.

It is so called Half Iron Man because each distance of the three events, namely, swimming, cycling, and running are half the distances of those segments in an Ironman triathlon.

The Half Iron man was conceived in 2006 and up till 2010, the Half Iron man World Championship was held in Clearwater, Florida during the month of November. However in 2011, the Championship venue was moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and the date was also moved to September. In addition to the World Championship event, championship competitions are also held for the regions of Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

The swimming event in the Half Iron Man is not much longer than Olympic distance. An Olympic distance swim is 1.9 kilometer while a Half Ironman is 1.9 kilometer. It means that if you are used to doing Olympic distance triathlons, you have to psyche yourself into swimming an additional 400 meters.

This will come easy to some, but for others, this is the distance when, just like in marathons, the wall is hit.

Some Half Ironman Events:

Half Ironman Austin – the one-loop freshwater swim will be held in Decker Lake. The triathletes will breathe in the scenic one-loop bike course through rolling Texas farmland, sprawling ranches, cedar-covered terrains and sunflower fields. The run course will cover through Walther E. Long Park and along the shores of Decker Lake.

Half Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship – the Asia-Pacific Championship started in Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Over the years this event has attracted many top performing triathletes all over Asia and the world!

Half Ironman Canberra – the event is done in the national capital which provides triathletes with the environment of urban and rural scenery. A cycling leg runs through the Canberra’s major iconic buildings and landmarks and all throughout the parklands. It is beautiful and scenic, except that competitors are so focused on the task at hand that the scenery is just a backdrop for the actual events.

Half Ironman Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka will provide participants to the race many reasons to extend their stay beyond the week of the event with its pristine beaches, magnificent landscapes with lazy lagoons, fertile wetlands, ecologically-wondrous types of forest, imposing mountains, breath taking waterfalls and not to mention the wide diversity of wildlife. Sri Lanka was once called the finest island for its size in the world by Marco Polo and was named by the New York Times as the number one place in the world to visit in 2010.

Hal Ironman Port Macquarie – from all across Australia, triathletes will converge in Port Macquarie in November 2011 to compete for the Australian Age Group Championship. Winners from each age group will have the opportunity to enter in the Ironman Australia in May 2012.

Half Ironman Florida – the event will take place at the Walt Disney World Resort. The participants will enjoy the fresh water swim in Bay Lake atDisney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The bike course will be along the famous World Drive in Walt Disney World Resort. The run event will take place through the Wilderness Trails and Roadways.

Half Iron man Hawaii – the event will kick off with a swim in the crystal blue waters of Hapuna Beach State Park along the Kohala Coast of the BigIsland. The 56 mile bike leg takes on the legendary Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. The race will end with the 13.1 mile run all along the paradise island… the most beautiful venue, testing the best in the field.

It is ironic that  with the Half Iron Man, a place usually associated with vacations and relaxations is actually a place for stiff and relentless competition!