Waco, Texas Extended as Host Venue For IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Festival Weekend Through 2028

January 24, 2022

WACO, Texas / TAMPA, Fla. (January 24, 2022) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The IRONMAN Group in partnership with the Greater Waco Sports Commission have agreed to a seven-year extension for IRONMAN^® Waco and IRONMAN 70.3^® Waco triathlons to continue as a festival weekend of events annually through 2028.

“Since 2018, Waco, Texas has continued to be one of the most popular destinations on the IRONMAN racing circuit. So much so that when we added the full distance IRONMAN event in 2021, we saw more athletes flock to race in a fantastic destination that brought tremendous support from the entire community,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director North America for The IRONMAN Group. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership for a further six years and grow our contributions to the rich sporting culture in Waco and Texas.”

Situated in the Heart of Texas, Waco offers the perfect weekend getaway. From exploring the hiking and biking trails of Cameron Park to visiting the nationally known Magnolia Markets, Waco has something for everyone in your support crew.

“The Greater Waco Sports Commission is extremely fortunate to work intimately with the City of Waco and Mayor Meek, McLennan County and Judge Felton, and the Waco Tourism Public Improvement District on this elite event for years to come. Creating this long-term partnership and building off of the first-ever IRONMAN festival weekend in North America is a valuable opportunity. Partnering with IRONMAN is phenomenal and brings consistency, efficiency, and reliability for all involved,” said Mike Vogelaar, Executive Director Greater Waco Sports Commission.

“IRONMAN is by far the most well-known and respected name in the triathlon world. To have these races in our town is an absolute privilege and honor,” said Nancy Goodnight, Volunteer Director for Greater Waco Sports Commission. “We know that we are the best venue possible with our beautiful river, park as well as our amazing community that turns out to volunteer by the thousands. It’s our community as a whole that has made this happen for us. I’m so excited to be a part of it.”

With a full weekend of racing scheduled, the 2022 edition of IRONMAN Waco is set to take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022 followed by IRONMAN 70.3 Waco on Sunday, October 16, 2022. Both events will have athletes swim down the Brazos River. Once out of the water, athletes will traverse through the Texas countryside of rural Waco both on the bike and on the run course. The energy of the Waco faithful will carry athletes home you as they finish with an electric finish atmosphere.

For more information on IRONMAN Waco and IRONMAN 70.3 Waco triathlons, please visit www.ironman.com/im-waco or www.ironman.com/im703-waco. Athlete inquiries may be directed to waco@ironman.com.

For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About the Greater Waco Sports Commission

The Greater Waco Sports Commission is an independent non-profit organization that has been created to identify and attract new sports events while enhancing and retaining existing events to generate positive economic impact and enhance the quality of life in McLennan County. The vision is that the Greater Waco area will realize its incredible potential – due to its community spirit, location, climate, rivers and lake, beautiful parks, and premiere facilities – as the preferred venue for sports in Texas.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf^®, Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and gravel racing like Gravel Epic^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.