Qatar Airways continues to be the global partner of the Global IRONMAN Series and IRONMAN 70.3 Series by supporting Sunday’s Melbourne race, won by Ellie Salthouse and Jarrod Osborne for the women’s and men’s races respectively.

The airline first partnered with IRONMAN in 2022 and has been supporting the organisation ever since – notably seen during the rolldown ceremony at the Catani Gardens in St Kilda and with Qatar Airways cabin crew also out in force.

As part of the partnership, Qatar Airways also provided free return flights to Malaga for next year’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella for one lucky athlete, who will be the lucky recipient of the prize draw, hosted by the airline.

Sunday’s event was part of the IRONMAN 70.3 series, comprising a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike ride, and a 21.1 km run, and featured over 1,800 athletes who were keen to experience beautiful Catani Gardens in St Kilda, expansive views of Port Phillip Bay and palm tree-lined boardwalks, all within a few kilometres of the CBD.

Qatar Airways’ goal is to bring communities together through sport with Australia being a key region of focus. From the Sydney Swans to the MotoGP in Phillip Island and Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, the airline is heavily investing in bringing unique and beneficial experiences to Australian consumers and sports fans.

Luke Drake, senior vice president of sponsorship, events & exhibitions, Qatar Airways, said: “Supporting the Australian sporting communities has been a major priority for Qatar Airways, and we are thrilled to offer experiences that provide great value and enjoyment to all those associated with the clubs and events we support.

Since 2022, we have been proud to support IRONMAN, and watch as the IRONMAN 70.3 series goes from strength-to-strength. We’re pleased to play a small role in contributing to this growth.”

Since its debut in 1978, IRONMAN events have become globally known for being the world’s most challenging single-day sporting competitions. IRONMAN triathlons are a series of full-distance races composed of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2-mile run, in that order. Similar to the IRONMAN triathlons, the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons maintain the structure and format of the original triathlon series but with half of each distance.

Jarrod Osborne

Qatar Airways offers seamless travel from Australia to over 49 destinations across Europe and the United Kingdom, 29 destinations across Africa, 33 destinations across the Middle East, 13 destinations across North and South America, plus many more.

Qatar Airways achieved the ‘World’s Best Business Class’ for the eleventh time in 2024, in addition to being awarded ‘World’s Best Airline’ for a record-breaking eighth time in 2024. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, taking home, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide, via one seamless connection through Hamad International Airport, the ‘World’s Best Airport’, as voted by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024.