TAMPA, Fla. / TULSA, Okla. / ST. GEORGE, Utah (December 8, 2020) – The IRONMAN Group today announced that the Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN Tulsa and Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3® St. George have been selected to host the respective IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championships for 2021. Both events will enter an elite group of cities to hold the prestigious regional championship events and host some of the best athletes in the world. The 2021 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Tulsa triathlon is scheduled for Sunday, May 23, 2021. The 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George triathlon is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2021.
“We are proud to designate these two outstanding race communities as North American Championship event hosts for 2021,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director of North America for The IRONMAN Group. “We believe that both St. George, Utah and Tulsa, Oklahoma offer the pedigree necessary to host such pinnacle events. We look forward to working with both cities to create unparalleled race experiences worthy of our amazing athletes during an exciting 2021 race season.”
Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George
The striking Southwestern community of St. George, Utah has been a staple on the IRONMAN circuit since 2010. St. George’s breathtaking scenery and views of the surrounding red rock canyons have made the community an ideal destination for athletes for years. The city’s walkable downtown area features great local fare and boutique shopping. It is also only a two-hour drive from the nightlife of Las Vegas, with its never-ending entertainment options.
“IRONMAN is part of the fabric of our community,” said Kevin Lewis, Director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “The IRONMAN spirit embodies the grit and determination in our heritage, the energy and enthusiasm of our people and the rugged, enduring beauty in our landscapes. We’re thrilled to welcome the world to the land of endurance.”
Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George has become one of the most popular IRONMAN 70.3 events in the world and will also host the 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Sept. 17-18, 2021, marking the return to North America for the first time since 2013. IRONMAN 70.3 St. George features a scenic course against the iconic Red Rock backdrop. Athletes will begin their journey with a 1.2-mile swim at Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, a rolling 56-mile bike through scenic Washington County before tackling the signature climb through Snow Canyon State Park, and finishing with a 13.1-mile out and back run course up that heads out on Diagonal and Bluff Street before climbing up Red Hills Parkway through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve featuring amazing views of the city while running along the bluff before returning to the finish line located on Main Street right in the heart of downtown St. George.
The 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George will offer 100 qualifying slots and 50 Women For Tri slots to the 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George. For more information, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-st-george. Athlete inquiries may be directed to [email protected].
Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Tulsa
Situated on the Arkansas River between the Osage Hills and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma, Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state. It boasts a wide variety of attractions, including Gathering Place (the largest privately funded public park in the country), Philbrook and Gilcrease museums, the Tulsa Zoo, and the Oklahoma Aquarium. The city prides itself on offering big-city experiences in a completely different way: no huge crowds, no big attitudes, just plenty to do for you and your whole group.
“Tulsa is honored to have been named the host location of the IRONMAN North American Championship for 2021,” said Ray Hoyt, President of Tulsa Regional Tourism, which houses Tulsa Sports Commission, The Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture. “Hosting an IRONMAN race is an extremely prestigious privilege. Having the opportunity to build on that, by convening the greatest triathletes in the world to compete at the championship level, really affirms Tulsa as a sports destination for the world. We look forward to bringing this great race and its vast network of athletes and supporters to Tulsa in 2021.”
The Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Tulsa triathlon will begin with a rolling start format. The 2.4-mile swim will take place in Keystone Lake where the water temperatures are generally in the low to mid-70 degrees. Once out of the water, athletes will embark on a 112-mile scenic bike tour of the surrounding Tulsa area, including portions of Osage, Creek and Tulsa County. Athletes will have the opportunity to ride portions of the Osage Hills and experience the lush green terrain that make up the “Green Country” of northeastern Okla. Athletes will be challenged with plenty of rolling hills before transitioning to the run portion in downtown Tulsa at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa campus. Once off the bike, athletes will start the 26.2-mile run leg of the event. The run course makes its way through historic vibrant downtown Tulsa to the River Parks Trail System. Runners will have flat and fast views of the Arkansas River as they make their way down past Tulsa’s Gathering Place and back to downtown to finish at the beautiful Guthrie Green.
The 2021 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Tulsa will offer 75 qualifying slots to the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. For more information, please visit www.ironman.com/im-tulsa. Athlete inquiries can be directed to [email protected].
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to [email protected].
We are having a hot run right now on COVID, hospitals are full in Utah. In the Springtime we had hardly any Covid-19 until people started pouring in by the Thousand’s. We have forever been a small community that people invade. We don’t mind on the most part. But please we don’t need any more infestation of Covid-19. Let’s let this Country heal. Stay home, for now.