The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a swim, a bike ride, and a run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an
Ironman Triathlon. The Ironman 70.3 series culminates each year with a World Championship competition, for which competitors qualify during the 70.3 series in the 12 months prior to the championship race. In addition to the World Championship race, Ironman 70.3 championship competitions are also held for the European,
Asia-Pacific, and Latin America regions. The time needed by an athlete to complete a 70.3 distance event varies from race to race and can be influenced by external factors. These factors include the terrain and the total elevation gained and lost on the course, weather conditions, and course conditions. Finish times range from sub-four-hour completion times by elite-level athletes to the imposed race cutoff, which is commonly 8 hours and 30 minutes after the start time. From its first year as a championship race series in 2006 until 2010, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships were held in
Clearwater, Florida, USA, during the month of November. In 2011, the 70.3 Championship venue changed to
Las Vegas, and the date of the event moved up in the calendar to September.
Lake Las Vegas is the site of the event's swim. For 2014 and all following years the location for the 70.3 Championship will change each year. ==Qualification==