Sacramento to host first Ironman triathlon. ‘We expect it to be a rapid sell-out’
Sacramento will host its first ever Ironman triathlon next year, bringing competitors to the state’s capital city along with an economic impact that’s expected to generate millions of dollars for the region, organizers said.
Ironman California will be held Oct. 24, 2021, and registration for competitors is expected to begin sometime this summer. The event’s expo area, also known as Ironman Village, will be located in front of the California capitol building, said Dave Christen, regional director for Ironman.
“Sacramento has an incredible ability to host world class events,” Christen told The Sacramento Bee. “We expect it to be a rapid sell-out. We’re really excited. This is going to be a very popular event.”
The event was announced Friday afternoon in Sacramento by local officials, event organizers and representatives from Visit Sacramento, which had been in talks with Ironman for several months.
Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento’s Sports Commission, said Ironman projects the Sacramento event will generate $15 million in economic impact for the region, bringing thousands of people to the area for the competition.
“Unlike conventions, where people generally attend either by themselves or with a colleague, sporting events typically deliver the competing athlete and, often times, their spouses and other family members,” Testa told The Sacramento Bee in an email. “That practice dramatically increases the financial impacts to the region and the overall value of the event to our city.”
Christen said California is one of the most sought-after locations for Ironman competitions, which are sometimes referred to as “race-cations” that give competitors a chance to have a family vacation or do some sight-seeing before or after participating in the triathlon.
He said Sacramento was an attractive location for Ironman because of its rich history and culture and its demographics, which show a region with a lot of growth and appetite for outdoor activities that ‘demonstrates it’s a great place to live and play.”
Testa said Ironman’s economic impact will be felt over four days as competitors arrive early to get acclimated with the course and stay after the race to recover.
“Ironman will fill our hotel rooms, our AirBnB rentals, our restaurants, retail stores, Ubers and Lyfts, and so many other local businesses that employ our residents and generate activity into our collective economy,” Testa said.
The Ironman triathlon challenges competitors to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles (a marathon). And they have to finish the triathlon in 17 hours, Christen said.
Organizers were still in the process of designing the course and choosing the venues for each portion of the competition. For instance, the swimming portion could be held in one of the many lakes or rivers in the Sacramento area, Christen said.
About 2,500 volunteers are expected to help with the Sacramento event. Christen said Ironman, as part of Wanda Sports, organizes more than 50 events annually throughout the country, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series in San Francisco and San Jose.
Testa called Ironman is a well-respected brand and that brings “an international spotlight on Sacramento as a tourist and sporting destination, which will help us to attract new visitors long after the race has finished.”
