Irondelta... a historic triathlon
IRONDELTA is an event that connects the Ferrara Triathlon Club with its President, Paolo Temporin, a passionate and tireless organizer. Paolo, along with all his collaborators and the Municipality of Comacchio, organizes this historic triathlon, placing it in a unique environment of water, land, history, and nature, offering a scenic and cultural heritage of the highest level.
Triathlon, a relatively young sport, was born in the United States, specifically in Hawaii, in the 1970s, and soon spread to Italy. In Ferrara, thanks to a group of sports enthusiasts (who were considered 'crazy' at the time), the Ferrara Triathlon Club was founded with registration number 6, making it among the very first to believe in this extraordinarily fascinating sport! In Comacchio, it immediately found its ideal location for sports competition. Indeed, the constituent elements of the sport are not lacking: the Lago delle Nazioni and the sea for swimming, and the evocative routes of the Po Delta Park (made available by Mother Nature 😊) for cycling and running.
In 1986, the first edition of the triathlon was born with a very adventurous event and brave athletes: the swimming leg took place in Lago delle Nazioni, in the village of Spiaggia Romea; the cycling leg went as far as Copparo; and finally, the finish with the run was in Pontelagoscuro (Ferrara), at the Società Canottieri.
The path was set for subsequent and increasingly popular races. Starting in 1987, we would see the birth of IRONDELTA, conceived as men and women of iron, with thoughts of the mythical Hawaii IRONMAN, but with courses set in the Po Delta Park. The ideal location is Lido delle Nazioni, a tourist resort perfectly integrated into the environment of water and land. Since then, uninterruptedly, thanks to the valuable patronage of the Municipality of Comacchio, the event — which includes a race at the Olympic distance (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run) and a Sprint distance race — has been enriched year after year with Italian Absolute Championships, Italian Team Championships, and World Cup Trials. Until the 90s, the swimming leg took place in Lago delle Nazioni, before moving to the sea in front of the beautiful Piazza Italia, but always with the bike leg winding through the valleys of the Delta Park. The race gradually increased its number of participants, reaching 600 athletes in the individual races and 900 in the team races. Irondelta and the Municipality of Comacchio were pioneers in hosting the first Paratriathlon race in 2011 and the 1st Italian Paratriathlon Championship in 2013, which is a source of particular pride, promoting the development of an inclusive sport.
Since 2013, the IRONDELTA, which takes place every year in September, has doubled with the Irondelta di Primavera (Spring Irondelta), a triathlon event at the Half Ironman distance, which takes place in April.
ROLL OF HONOUR
1984: The race consisted of a 1 km swim, 85 km bike, and 15 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Ferrari Michele (Ferrara Triathlon Club), and the 1st place female finisher was Roswita Flarer (Merano Triathlon). There was a very high percentage of dropouts, with 50 out of 100 participants.
1985: The distances were 1.2 km swim, 80 km bike, and 15 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Ferrari Michele, and the 1st place female finisher was Anna Dondelio (Biella Triathlon).
1986 (June): The race consisted of a 1 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Amorati Pietro (Ferrara Triathlon), and the 1st place female finisher was Laura Beana (Colnago Triathlon).
1986 (September): The race consisted of a 1.5 km swim, 52 km bike, and 14 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Ferrari Michele, and the 1st place female finisher was Dugono Elena (Cinelli Triathlon).
1987 (June): The race consisted of a 1 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Cattaneo Franco (Cinelli Triathlon), and the 1st place female finisher was Chantal Dallembach (Switzerland).
1987 (September): The race consisted of a 1.5 km swim, 59 km bike, and 14 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Bettin Giancarlo (Trentino), and the 1st place female finisher was Rotondi Francesca (Triathlon Roma).
1990: A nearly standard Middle Distance Triathlon was held, consisting of a 2.5 km swim, 80 km bike, and 20 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Ferraresi Fabrizio (Ferrara Triathlon Club), and the 1st place female finisher was Garbarino Carla (Triathlon Genova).
1991: A nearly standard Middle Distance Triathlon was held, consisting of a 2.5 km swim, 80 km bike, and 20 km run. The 1st place male finisher was Palmucci Danilo, and the 1st place female finisher was Garbarino Carla (Triathlon Genova).
1992: A major event was held where 10 slots for the Hawaii Ironman were offered. The 1st place male finisher was Gleen Cook (England), and the 1st place female finisher was Natasha Naxrst (Slovenia).
1993: The 1st place male finisher was Palmucci Danilo (Ferrara Triathlon), and the 1st place female finisher was Cigana Edith (Pesaro Triathlon).
1996: In the traditional Olympic distance of 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run, the 1st place male finisher was Damian Zepic (Slovenia), and the 1st place female finisher was Silvia Riccò (Ferrara Triathlon Club).
1998: World Cup Trial: The 1st place male finisher was Gonzales Gilberto (Venezuela), and the 1st place female finisher was Messmer Magali (Switzerland).
1999: In the traditional Olympic distance of 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run, the 1st place male finisher was David Morelli (Galileo Triathlon), and the 1st place female finisher was Nadia Cortassa (4th at the Athens Olympics).
2000: In the traditional Olympic distance of 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run, the 1st place male finisher was David Morelli (Galileo Triathlon).
If you also want to participate in one of the upcoming Irondelta events, follow the Ferrara Triathlon page on Keepsporting.
