Preparations for the second edition of the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon race are underway in Rubavu, district Mayor Ildephonse Kambogo has said.

The highly-anticipated race is scheduled on August 5 but the district, together with organisers, have begun to prepare for it the earliest they can, expecting to host a huge number of guests from different parts of the world anticipating a breathtaking experience in the town.

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Kambogo said that Rubavu will host the annual triathlon race three years in a row, including the inaugural edition that took place in August 2022.

"This time we want to improve mainly on business services, let’s say accommodation. We are asking the private sector to increase the number of rooms because we are expecting more people compared to last year, and we even want to double the number of people who participated,” Kambogo told Weekend Sport in an interview.

Registration for this year’s race edition is on since late January.

With the number of participants set to increase, Rubavu town expects to generate more revenues besides the branding and visibility of the district worldwide as one of Rwanda’s tourism destinations.

"Through branding; people now know Rubavu. It is being branded everywhere because participants are from across the world, so they can easily check where the town is, available services and so forth. It increases revenues, too, within the city,” he noted.

Improving accommodation and service delivery are among aspects that the district is currently working on to ensure that guests enjoy their stay in the Western Province-based town.

The number of Rwandan representatives is also likely to increase given that more local teams are showing interest to participate this year compared to the previous race.