Ironman Triathlon events calendar for 2010: European edition

(All rights reserved - Photo by: Bakke-Svensson / Ironman)

Following are the European events in the 24 race Ironman Triathlon 2009/10 season, with registration and fee details where applicable. Places have filled up fast; in December there were slots available for the June 2010 Nice Ironman in France and the August 2010 Regensburg Ironman in Germany, and as each event finishes, applications for the 2011 equivalent are invited.

The 2009/10 season started in September in Madison, USA, followed by October's Ironman World Championship in Hawaii (grand finale for the 2008/09 season, but also considered a valid part of the 2009/10 season), three events in November in Florida, Arizona, and Mexico, and the first of two Australian competitions on the Saturday 5 December.

The season is run as a succession of qualifiers rather than as a round robin or league based tournament: various numbers of qualifying slots for the October 2010 World Championship in Hawaii are awarded to the top finishers at each qualifying triathlon, but the standard of competition means that it really is only the best of the best who make it through. Most entrants to Ironman Triathlons do so just for the challenge of completing the course.

One other way to gain entry to the World Championships is to take up residency on Hawaii's Kona Island, and in fact there are triathletes who have done just that, the exceptionally resilient 2009 Best Male Athlete With A Disability, one-armed triathlete, and Ultraman competitor Jason Lester being one of them.

For hopefuls who have missed the cut-off for their local event, registrations for the following year's Ironman typically start the day after the current one is over. All fees are presented in the organiser's preferred currency, and dollars are US Dollars unless otherwise stated.

May 22 2010
Ironman Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen, Spain
Registration: Full as of September 3 2009
Fee: €325 to €425
http://www.ironmanlanzarote.com

June 27 2010
Ironman France, Nice
Registration: Open until full, no refunds beyond April 28
Fee: €380 to €440
http://www.ironmanfrance.com

July 4 2010
Ironman Austria, Klagenfurt
Registration: Full.
Fee: $450
http://www.ironmanaustria.com

July 4 2010
Ironman Germany, Frankfurt
Registration: Full.
Fee: €415 to €455
http://www.ironman.de

July 25 2010
Ironman Switzerland, Zürich
Registration: Full as of October 29 2009
Fee: €420
http://www.ironman.ch

August 1 2010
Ironman UK, Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Registration: Full as of November 23, 2009
Fee: £305
http://www.ironmanuk.com

August 1 2010
Ironman Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany
Registration: Open until full
Fee: €380 to €430
http://www.ironman-regensburg.de

34th Ironman Triathlon World Championships, 2009/10 season finale
October 9, 2010
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Registration: Qualifying via a previous Ironman Triathlon, the limited place lottery system, or resident's application. Lottery opened October 1 2009, to close February 28 2010.
Fee: Optional banquet - Adults $48, children 6-11 $33, children under 6 go free.
http://www.ironman.com/events/worldchampionship