World Triathlon Corp (WTC) has confirmed that Ironman St George, in Utah, one of the toughest races on the global Ironman circuit, will be converted to a half-iron distance event in 2013. According to WTC, the newly announced Ironman 70.3 St George will be a great lead-up race to the Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.
With a similar course profile and 75 World Championship qualifying spots, the St George event promises to be popular stop for those gearing up for Nevada. One of nearly 60 Ironman 70.3 events worldwide, Ironman 70.3 St. George is set to take place on Saturday 4 May 2013.
“The 70.3 course keeps all the character of the Ironman, and adds Snow Canyon. It will be a great event in addition to be excellent preparation for Vegas,” said Ironman 70.3 St George Race Director Jeff Gardner. “The course profile matches up pretty closely with that of the Ironman World Championship 70.3.”
“We’ve listened to our athletes and they’ve told us that while they love St George – the people, the community and surroundings – St George does not work for them as a full-distance Ironman,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman. “Our belief is that St George will flourish as a 70.3 and we are pleased that we are continuing our relationship with St George and with the state of Utah.”
The new 70.3 swim course will follow a shorter loop through Sand Hollow Reservoir; the bike route will lead athletes along Red Hills Parkway through the brilliant scenery of Snow Canyon State Park; and the half-marathon will take participants up Red Hills Parkway and back. The finish line will still be located at Town Square.
“We welcome this new race as a continuation of the momentum we’ve started with Ironman St George,” said Kevin Lewis, Director of Sports Marketing with the St George Convention and Tourism Office. “We estimate that the economic impact to our community will be similar to that of a full-distance Ironman, while the cost of hosting and the need for road closures and necessary services is reduced.”
The welcoming community in St George, Utah, has been lauded by Ironman athletes. 99% of the respondents in a post-race athlete survey gave St George the highest possible rating, saying it was a ‘great place with friendly people,’ while 86% considered the race to be ‘fabulous’. Three out of four of the athletes who have competed at the full distance event have said they’ll return for a vacation, while more than half said they’ll be back to train in the area.
Changing an Ironman course to a 70.3 event is not unprecedented in Ironman history. Ironman California became Ironman 70.3 California in 2002 and has become one of the most popular races on the global Ironman & 70.3 circuits.
