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Visit Qatar signed an agreement with The Ironman Group in Doha to bring the globally recognised Ironman 70.3 triathlon series to Doha for the first time, with the inaugural race scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The event, dubbed Visit Qatar Ironman 70.3 Doha, is expected to attract elite athletes, age-group competitors, and supporters from across the world, further strengthening Qatar’s position as a global sports destination. Visit Qatar CEO Abdulaziz Ali al-Mawlawi said: “Bringing the Ironman 70.3 series to Qatar reflects our continued ambition to position the country as a leading global hub for major international sporting events. This agreement strengthens Qatar’s growing sports tourism sector and showcases its ability to deliver world-class experiences supported by exceptional infrastructure, and an unmatched visitor offering. Together with our partners, we are committed to delivering a race that meets Qatar’s ambition, and global vision.” The triathlon will feature a swim, bike, and run, with courses designed to showcase Doha’s urban scenery and some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, organisers said. Ironman Group CEO Scott DeRue told 'Gulf Times' that Qatar stood out as a natural choice for hosting the race: “This is one of the most incredible destinations in the world for sport, with a rich history of hosting major sporting events”. He added that the event is an early-season race that is perfect for athletes getting ready for big spring and summer races because it will provide qualifying spots for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. DeRue highlighted Doha’s distinctive appeal for athletes, citing the city’s landscape, culture, and hospitality, saying: “The beauty of the city, its culture, and how welcoming the community is were all really important factors in bringing Iroanman to Qatar. He described the announcement as the result of long-term discussions."

Lulwa al-Marri, the first Qatari woman to complete a full Ironman, has come back from a knee injury with a blend of modern medical precision with holistic, patient-centred recovery at the Korean Medical Center (KMC).A triathlete, cyclist, mountaineer, and presenter, Lulwa is no stranger to high performance. But when a knee injury abruptly pulled her out of training, she found herself confronting a different kind of endurance; the kind it takes to heal.Rather than opt for surgery or sit on the sidelines, Lulwa turned to KMC in Lusail, where a comeback plan was devised through a science-based system that focused not just on pain relief, but also on restoring mobility and enhancing performance.Her journey began with a full-body scan on the Exbody system, an advanced Korean innovation that uses motion analysis technology to understand how muscles, joints, and body posture work together, a statement explained.“This machine doesn’t guess or estimate,” Lulwa explains. “It showed me exactly what was going wrong, even in places I couldn’t feel yet.”The Exbody report revealed muscle imbalances and poor load distribution, a chain reaction from her knee injury that even affected her spine and hips. Armed with data, the KMC team built a recovery plan tailored to Lulwa’s unique biomechanical needs.Lulwa’s treatment at KMC was a hybrid of clinical innovation and traditional Korean therapies: shockwave therapy, cryotherapy, ultrasound-guided manual therapy, dry cupping, and acupuncture.“My first cryotherapy session? Really, really cold,” she laughs. “But I came out feeling like my body had renewed vitality, and I got addicted to KMC’s cryotherapy machine, the biggest I’d seen in the country.”KMC’s approach is rooted in its belief that movement is freedom; a philosophy deeply embedded within its Mobility care unit, which encompasses orthopaedics, rehabilitation, and pain management.“For most patients, mobility is about daily function,” says Dr Louis Holtzhausen, sports and exercise medicine physician at KMC. “But for athletes like Lulwa, it’s about reclaiming performance. That means optimising, not just treating, how the body moves.”What makes KMC different, Lulwa says, is the loop between data and feeling. “We’d do another scan after a few weeks, and the progress was right there. I wasn’t just feeling better. I was seeing clear proof that I was regaining my strength.”Guiding her recovery was Dr Youngwoong Back, head of the Spine & Joint Center at KMC and an expert in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. His focus wasn’t just on the knee, but the kinetic chain.“An injury is rarely isolated,” Dr Back explains. “At KMC, we look at the body as an integrated system. We aim not only to restore range of motion, but to correct underlying patterns and prevent recurrence.”For Lulwa, this meant learning new movement strategies that would protect her joints under pressure, crucial for an athlete always preparing for her next race.Today, Lulwa is back in training, but with a new kind of awareness. Her recovery at KMC was restorative on a deeper level. “So often, women, especially female athletes, are told that our pain is just part of the game, or worse, that it’s in our heads,” she says.“We’re expected to push through, to stay quiet, to bounce back fast. But at KMC, my symptoms weren’t minimised, they were measured. My body was heard. Every imbalance was treated as real, and every treatment was backed by data.”For Lulwa, that level of validation was transformative. “This wasn’t about returning to where I was. It was about returning stronger, smarter, and with a deeper appreciation for how my body works.”Her message to other athletes, especially women navigating injury and uncertainty during their recovery, is clear: “You don’t have to suffer in silence or settle for guesswork. Pain is your body’s way of communicating, and you deserve a system that listens.”At KMC, she found that system, one that combined clinical rigour with deep human insight.