USA Triathlon has announced that the 2020 Legacy Triathlon, Open Water Swim Competition and Long Beach PATCO Sprint Triathlon American Cup, all initially scheduled for July 17-19 in Long Beach, California, have been cancelled. This is due to current local government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, USAT notes that the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships, which were scheduled for July 18 as part of the same event weekend, will move to a new date and location later in 2020.
The cancelation was required after the City of Long Beach informed USA Triathlon that it is unable to guarantee a permit for the event weekend due to ongoing state and local restrictions on gatherings.
The Legacy Triathlon will return to Long Beach in 2021. USAT adds that it will take place there annually in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The races are held at Alamitos Beach, the proposed site of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic triathlon competitions.
‘USA Triathlon hosted the inaugural Legacy Triathlon in 2019 to a sell-out field, and in doing so, became the first National Governing Body in the US Olympic family to bring a new annual event to the Los Angeles footprint ahead of the 2028 Games.’
“While we wish it was possible to host the second edition of the Legacy Triathlon this July, we look forward to returning to Long Beach in 2021 for a revived celebration of multisport and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements,” said Brian D’Amico, USA Triathlon Director of Events.
“For our paratriathletes, we are working diligently to still offer the opportunity to compete for national titles this year, and we look forward to communicating those details in the coming weeks.”
Age-group athletes who were registered for the 2020 Legacy Triathlon or Open Water Swim Competition have the option to defer the value of their registration to a future USA Triathlon-owned event in 2021 or 2022. This includes the Legacy Triathlon or Open Water Swim Competition, Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships (pending qualification) or Open Water Swim Competition, USA Duathlon National Championships, or USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships (pending eligibility).
Registered athletes will receive an email from USA Triathlon with more details about the deferral process.
