More than 1,000 competitors are set to descend on the Sunshine Coast this weekend as Ironman Australia gets the green light to go ahead under a COVID-safe plan.
"They've all had to nominate a 50-minute time frame that they'll come, so that way we can flow our athletes through over a set period of time to make sure that we've got the space to ensure that they're always 1.5 metres apart," she said.
Ms van Poose said it would be up to athletes — including world champion Sarah Crowley, competing for the first time this season — to voluntarily keep their distance.Ms Crowley said her preparation for the event during lockdown had been bizarre but she hoped serious competition would be limited because of border closures."Typically within the year I'd travel overseas and have had two altitude training blocks and probably three 'ironmans' by now.
While athletes have been urged to supply more of their own nutrition and hydration on course, their families and friends have also been asked to keep their distance."We'll have a live feed coming from the finish line, they can obviously go and sit in a restaurant and watch there as well and follow their physical distancing plans," Ms van Poose said.Cameron Hart from Events Management Queensland, organiser of the Gold Coast event, said there were too many unknowns at that time.
Melbourne Marathon Festival event director Marcus Gale said the ongoing restrictions in Victoria forced their hand in calling off next month's event.
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