IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne St Kilda starts beside the St Kilda Sea Baths, with athletes swimming off St Kilda Beach before racing a middle-distance triathlon based around Port Phillip Bay. The race village sits in St Kilda, with Catani Gardens listed as the hub, and the event is held in November. It is a city race rather than a remote resort race, set only a few kilometres from Melbourne’s central business district and backed by the city’s public transport, hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, and beach facilities.
The bike course is billed as flat and fast, so it suits first-time 70.3 racers as well as experienced athletes chasing a quick time. The run follows Melbourne’s coastline and boardwalks, passing St Kilda’s palm-lined foreshore, sandy beach, parks, gardens, old buildings, and views across Port Phillip Bay. Relay teams can enter, spectators have an easy course to follow, and the St Kilda setting gives the race a busy beach-day feel with crowds close to the action.