Due to a backdrop of Covid-19 as well as wildfires in the Santa Rosa region, IRONMAN has confirmed the cancellation of racing in Santa Rosa, California, this October.
Originally, the 2020 IRONMAN Santa Rosa and IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa triathlons had been scheduled to take place together on October 17, 2020. Following the cancellation of both events in October, and having assessed the ‘near-term viability of the events’, the decision has been made not to return to Santa Rosa in 2021.
In February, IRONMAN previously announced that the 2020 edition of IRONMAN Santa Rosa would mark the end of the full-distance IRONMAN triathlon.
The IRONMAN Group released the following statement…
When we postponed the IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa triathlon from its original date of May 9, 2020, to coincide with IRONMAN Santa Rosa on October 17, 2020, we felt confident we would still be able to deliver an exceptional combined event.
Unfortunately, based on continued conversations with local authorities in relation to both the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing wildfires in the Santa Rosa region, and with the health and safety of our community being an utmost priority, the IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa and IRONMAN Santa Rosa triathlons cannot take place in 2020 and will not return in 2021 after assessing the near-term viability of the events. As previously announced, the full-distance IRONMAN triathlon will move to Sacramento in 2021, taking place on October 24.
The region surrounding Santa Rosa has seen significant devastation due to wildfires since the beginning of our partnership and while Santa Rosa, the surrounding region and respective communities have been incredibly resilient, our partnering agencies need the ability to focus on more important matters including support of the region and its residents.
IRONMAN officials will continue to evaluate options with local officials at the appropriate time for possible IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events in Santa Rosa beyond 2021.
All registered athletes of the 2020 IRONMAN Santa Rosa and IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa triathlons will be receiving an email with further information.
In what has been a continually evolving and challenging time globally, we would like to thank the city, all athletes, volunteers, and partners for their contributions to the events over the years. We look forward to providing our athletes with an exceptional experience at a future IRONMAN event.
