St. George selected to host 2022 Ironman North American Championship

In this file photo, overall winner Rudy Von Berg crosses the finish line of the Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championship St. George, St. George, Utah, May 4, 2019 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

ST. GEORGE —The Ironman Group announced Wednesday that the city of St. George, Utah, for the first time since 2012, will once again play host to a full-distance Ironman triathlon with the first event scheduled for May 7, 2022 and again in 2024.

In this file photo, Ironman triathlete Heather Wurtele cycles through Snow Canyon State Park, May 7, 2016 | Photo courtesy of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, St. George News

In addition, the new Ironman St. George will be designated as the 2022 and 2024 Ironman North America Championships, according to a press release issued by Ironman.

“We are excited to bring a full distance Ironman triathlon back to St. George in 2022,” Paul Huddle, senior regional director for The Ironman Group, said in the release. “While we were prevented from bringing the full-distance Ironman race in 2020, we can’t wait to see this race make its return to St. George next year.”

St. George will continue to host Ironman 70.3 events in the years that an Ironman is not on the calendar, giving athletes the chance to prepare on the same courses and increasing the appeal of the destinations within the triathlon community, the release states.

Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office, said in the release that they are thrilled to “bring such an epic event back to a place known as the Land of Endurance.”

In this file photo, Ironman triathletes begin the race at Sand Hollow State Park, May 5, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, St. George News

“In its first three years, IRONMAN St. George gained a reputation as one of the toughest IRONMAN events in the world. The terrain and conditions here demand the ultimate level of commitment and determination,” Lewis said. “This event symbolizes the core attributes found in our heritage, and the communities involved genuinely appreciate the athletes that are willing to rise to it.”

The striking southwestern community of St. George has been a host venue for Ironman 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. The course has historically begun in the beautiful Sand Hollow Reservoir before embarking on a bike course through picturesque Snow Canyon State Park prior to a run through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

The new Intermountain Healthcare Ironman North American Championship St. George will begin by taking athletes along a 2.4-mile two-loop swim in the waters of Sand Hollow Reservoir. The 112-mile bike course will take athletes through Snow Canyon and along stunning red rocks of Southwestern Utah. To finish, the 26.2-mile run course will consist of two laps through Red Cliffs Reserve before finishing in the historic Town Square of downtown St. George.

General registration for the event will open on May 10 at noon ET. As it will be designated the Ironman North American Championship, the event will have an elevated professional prize purse and offer age-group qualification slots to the 2022 Ironman World Championship.

Additional details on the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman North American Championship St. George can be found online.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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