An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of middle-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. 70.3 is the total distance in miles. The whole and each part of the event is half the Ironman distance. The length of the 70.3 event encourages a meeting of Olympic distance/short course triathletes and Ironman/long course triathletes.
The bike section is non-drafting like the Ironman.
The world championship is held in Clearwater, Florida. Some 70.3 events also act as qualifiers for the full Ironman World Championships.
There are currently (as at 2008) 31 Ironman 70.3 events around the world that qualify athletes for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships are held in Clearwater, Florida every year in November.
A list of all Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifying races can be found at: www.ironman.com