THE return of Ironman to Bolton will help lift the town out of the lockdown doldrums, says a town hall boss and triathletes. The 112-mile challenge, taking in Queen s Park, Pennington Flash and the West Pennines, will kick off on July 4 and is already a sell-out. For town hall chiefs the gathering, also featuring Iron Kids and a 10km race, will be an ideal post-Covid showcase for the borough. And elite athletes are looking forward to a weekend where Bolton welcomes the cream of the Ironman competition to the north-west. Cllr Martyn Cox, regeneration cabinet member, said: The Bolton Ironman is our premier event and is enormously popular.