$12m boost: Cairns’ economy flexes its Ironman muscles
The Cairns economy received a major boost at the weekend as 10,000 visitors from around the country and the world headed to the Far North for the region’s premier sporting event.
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The Cairns economy received a major boost at the weekend as 10,000 visitors from around the country and the world headed to the Far North for the region’s premier sporting event.
Along with setting a world record for the oldest ever competitor, Cairns is reaping rewards which extend well beyond the finish line of the IRONMAN Cairns event.
This year 2800 athletes and their families descended on the region to enjoy tropical winter sun and the thrill of the race.
Cairns’ coffers yet again have been boosted by $12m expected to be pumped into the city by the race which has become a mainstay of the region’s event calendar.
In spectacularly sunny weather the athletes competing in the full course swam 3.8km, rode a 180km bike ride and ran 42.2km.
Those who completed the 70.3 swam 1.9 km, rode 90 km, and ran 21.1 km.
IRONMAN Cairns spokesman Craig Heydon said restaurants and hotels had been booming throughout the weekend, with many of the visitors set to extend their stays to Palm Cove and Port Douglas in the coming weeks.
Advance Cairns chief executive Jacinta Reddan said while the direct cash injection was significant the event also did great things for the Cairns brand.
“It’s an outstanding event, not just in terms of economic impact but a showcase of the region as an event destination,” Ms Reddan said.
“It’s a huge injection into the economy and we know that event tourism and business events are a huge contributor to our overall economy.”
Broadcast to an international audience, the event offered an opportunity to sell Cairns as a destination for tourists across the globe, Ms Reddan said.
“The footage captured of our beautiful landscapes doesn’t really get any better as well as playing into the liveability of the region,” she said.
The competition gives the Far North a chance to highlight its outstanding hospitality and wide array of tourism offerings, Cairns mayor Amy Eden said.
“The city is looking beautiful,” she said.
“There’s reef and rainforest … this bike ride along the Great Barrier Reef Drive is world class. You can’t buy that.”
IRONMAN’s Mr Heydon said that every state and territory was represented in the race, along with 30 countries around the world.
“New Zealand, USA, Singapore and Japan are the most represented countries,” he said.
Mr Heydon explained that 91-year-old Japanese man Hiromu Inada would become the world’s oldest man to finish an ironman event by race’s end.
After retiring at age 60, Mr Inada took up swimming to slim down.
Two decades later he first completed the IRONMAN World Championship in 2016.
In 2018, at age 85, he set a Guinness World Record as the oldest person to cross the finish line of the gruelling event held in Hawaii.
Mr Inada is competing in the full-length race and expected to finish the race late Sunday afternoon.
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