Raku Lake could unlock Ironman world championships in Estonia

The Ironman swimming leg will take place at Raku Lake for the first time next week, but hosting the 70.3 world championships there will require the mining area to be developed, ERR reports.

Organisers have spent several years looking for a suitable swimming venue near Tallinn because water quality has been a concern at Harku Lake and Stroomi Beach.

“A month before the competitions, when we conduct the water quality test, both Harku and Stroomi Beach had purple flags, meaning swimming was not recommended. The water sample from Raku Lake, however, was perfectly clean,” said Ain-Alar Juhanson, the chief organiser of Ironman Tallinn.

Raku Lake, on the outskirts of Tallinn, can accommodate the 3.8-kilometre swimming course. However, it is officially a mining area, so the swimming event can only be held with special permission from the operator, Silikaat Group. The company will suspend its operations during the competition and allow a transition area for 5,000 athletes to be built on the quarry road.

Juhanson said the arrangement made for this year’s competition was temporary and intended as a one-off solution. Organisers hope to develop a public recreation area on the lake’s shore in cooperation with the City of Tallinn and the Ministry of Culture.

The state, which currently owns the land, would have to transfer the area to the city. The Land and Spatial Planning Board said opening the shoreline to the public would require lengthy preparations and approvals from several authorities. The quarry’s tenant would also be responsible for improving the shoreline.

“Once this has been done, we can inspect how the tenant has restored the land, and if the conditions have been met, we can at least partially amend the lease,” said Anu Nemvalts, director of the state land service at the Land and Spatial Planning Board.

The City of Tallinn wants to create a public recreation area by Raku Lake. At present, the area may officially only be used for swimming dogs.

Deputy Mayor Monika Haukanõmm said the project was possible, noting that various events had been temporarily permitted at the lake this year and could also be held there in 2028 if Ironman applies to host the world championships.

Tallinn and Marbella were finalists to host this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championships, but Tallinn lost the right to stage the event because it lacked a suitable swimming venue.

Juhanson said hosting a world championship in Estonia would bring 10,000 international participants and their companions, along with the associated economic impact. He said Raku Lake was suitable, but the necessary infrastructure would have to be built nearby.

The Land and Spatial Planning Board said it would remain ready to grant temporary permission for the area’s use. Opening the shoreline, however, depends mainly on the plans of the area’s tenant.