Challenge Iskandar Puteri returns to Johor

PRESS RELEASE

Iskandar Puteri in Johor will once again play host to triathletes from all over the world in the Challenge Iskandar Puteri, the sixth race in the global Challenge series of full and half triathlon races from Sept 21 to 23, 2017.

The Challenge Family is the fastest growing global triathlon series, with 44 full and half distance races in iconic destinations in 26 countries across five continents.

The series attracts some of the best athletes, with its flagship race in Roth, Germany (the home of triathlon) gathering an average 5,000 professional and semi-professional triathletes attending each year, with the event even creating a record of having the registration sold out within 57 seconds in 2015!

Challenge Iskandar Puteri puts Malaysia in the spotlight as one of the only 3 countries in Asia to host the Challenge series (Thailand and Taiwan are the other countries in the series).

The Challenge Iskandar Puteri race aims to be the number one triathlon event in South East Asia and to be the leading event for triathletes in Malaysia.

In line with the Fit Malaysia initiative by the Youth and Sports Ministry, which aims to promote a healthy and fit lifestyle among the youths, Challenge Iskandar Puteri encourages the participation of all Malaysians in the growing sport of triathlon, with special packages designed to motivate more Malaysians to participate in this year's race.

 From left: Datuk Rizal Mansor, Salute Malaysia; Datuk Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria; Jeff Saw, Project Director Iskandar Puteri & Desaru UEM Sunrise Bhd; Keld Kristiansen; Datuk Roslan Ibrahim, COO Development, UEM Sunrise Bhd; Devamanokaran K Poonagasu, General Manager UEM Sunrise Bhd; Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib; Azrul Amir, Spire Research posing in front of the Event plaque at the launch in Publika, Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

UEM Sunrise Berhad’s Managing Director/CEO Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib said: “We are excited to be the title sponsor for Challenge Iskandar Puteri once again.

"This second installation of the race, as well as the fringe activities around it, will serve as a platform for us to communicate the vision and aspirations we have for Iskandar Puteri to the world. UEM Sunrise has always pride itself on building sustainable communities for the future, and our placemaking and community building efforts are encapsulated within the environments we create."

To add to the carnival like atmosphere, Educity, a fully integrated education hub by Iskandar Investment via its subsidiary EduCity Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will host CHALLENGE Fun & Fit Zone 2.0 and a 5K Fun Run on Sept 22.

The CHALLENGE Fun & Fit Zone 2.0 has many exciting activities for all to participate in, including Super Titan Challenge (Strongfit), Floorball, 3-on-3 Soccer Kids, Passport to Fitness (Gymnastic), Zumba & Basketball.

“This year's event will be bigger than the last in terms of the number of athletes participating and public awareness, as the culture of triathlon continues to grow year by year in Malaysia. Challenge Iskandar Puteri will surely be an experience to look forward to by all, athletes and public alike,” said Keld Kristiansen of Carbon Sports Sdn Bhd.

This year's edition will see the participation of over 800 athletes, led by Cameron Brown, a legend among triathletes who at 43, is still competitively racing around the world, clocking impressive times and pushing the limits beyond his age.

Cameron will also be a keynote speaker in the Challenge High Performance Interactive Clinic, which is free for registered participants of Challenge Iskandar Puteri 2017 and available for the general public as a paid event. He, alongside Fredrik Croneborg, another well known international triathlete also competing in this year's race, will share training, preparation and race techniques applied by professionals competing in the Challenge family races. Other notable professional triathletes competing this year are Mitchell Kibby, Laurel Wassner, Kathryn Haessner, Nicholas Baldwin, Anna Eberhardt and Lachlan Kerin.