15th June 2016
Last week the 2016 Cairns Airport Adventure Festival took place in one of the most tropical and iconic destinations in the world. The festival features a variety of athletic events for all ages and abilities including the Coral Coast Triathlon, the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge, Ironman 70.3 Cairns, Quicksilver Reef Swim, RRR Mountain Bike Challenge, Ironkids Cairns and the Cairns Post Bright Night Run.
The pinnacle of the event is the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns, a gruelling full-distance triathlon. Featuring a 3.8km swim, 180km bike leg and 42.2km run, the championship takes in some of Australia's most scenic coastal roads on its way to Port Douglas before finishing along the Cairns Esplanade and into the heart of the city.
With more than 3,500 registered competitors and scores more spectators cheering them on, it's easy to see what attracts people to the Far North at this time of year. Aside from the spectacular coastline and the opportunity to combine the competition with a holiday, the weather in Port Douglas is also perfect this time of year. Plenty of sunshine keeps spectators warm while the fresh breezes cool down competitors who are grateful for low humidity and dry winter conditions.
This year was the first year the IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship was brought to Tropical North Queensland. After a three year run of success hosting the championship race in urban areas, the new home of the championship is situated on the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and will not only challenge competitors physically, but the breathtaking backdrop will also prove difficult to ignore as they make their way along the course.
It's the perfect way for athletes to end their season with a well-deserved tropical holiday and party in paradise.
