IRONMAN, in cooperation with the authorities of Greater Zion and St. George, Utah, and the local and state authorities of Hawaii, today announced that the IRONMAN® World Championship® will be held outside of Hawaii for the first time. It will be held in St. George, Utah on May 7, 2022 before returning to Kona, Hawaii on October 6-8, 2022 with a new two-day race format.
St. George, Utah will host an IRONMAN World Championship outside of Hawaii for the first time
The 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN World Championship will be held on May 7, 2022 in St. George, Utah. This gives professional triathletes an opportunity to win a world title and a portion of the $750,000 in prize money that goes with it. Continued uncertainty as to whether Kailua-Kona, Hawaii will be able to host the February event has made it necessary to move the venue outside of Hawaii for the first time since the event was first held in 1978.
St. George was chosen as the first new venue for the event outside of Hawaii in more than 40 years because of its strong community support, challenging course and experience in hosting IRONMAN® triathlons and other major events, including the successful one , recently completed Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3® World Championship 2021 presented by Utah Sports Commission. St. George will also host the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, taking place on October 28th and 29th, 2022.
“The honor of hosting the first IRONMAN World Championship outside of Hawaii is both gratifying and exciting. There are few events that commands the prestige and respect of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona,” said Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “I think we understand the weight and responsibility we now have in carrying on the cherished importance of the IRONMAN World Championship and we do not take that responsibility lightly. We have the utmost respect for the legacy of the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii and most importantly for what has come before us – the passion, the dreams, the tenacity and the human spirit that cares for each other as we strive to be the best version of ourselves. Hosting the IRONMAN World Championship here gives us the opportunity to honor that legacy with our own brand of enduring success and I’m sure we’ll do it again.”
“We are fortunate to have developed such a strong and trusted relationship with our friends in the greater St. George area over the past decade or more,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer of The IRONMAN Group. “St. George has advocated that IRONMAN athletes will still have a world championship in 2021, even if it is delayed until 2022. We have all just experienced why this special place is called the ‘Land of Endurance’ and we are confident that we will have an outstanding championship in May.”
“Hosting the IRONMAN World Championship is another example of the Utah Sports Commission’s commitment to the sport and Olympic heritage, demonstrating worldwide why Utah is known as the state of sport,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of Utah Sports Commission. “Together with our partners, we look forward to welcoming the world to Utah.”
“Events like the IRONMAN World Championship, which draw athletes from all parts of the world, are great examples of our state’s deep commitment to global sports,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “The significant economic impact and media value will be of great benefit to St. George, Washington County and the entire state.”
IRONMAN World Championship returns to Kona in October 2022 with two-day race format.
For the first time in the IRONMAN World Championship’s more than 40-year history, the pinnacle of triathlon sport will be held over two days: The 2022 IRONMAN World Championship returns to Kona, Hawaii on October 6th and 8th, 2022. The two-day event will see an expanded professional field of 50 women athletes on Thursday, October 6th and 50 professional men on Saturday, October 8th. Age group race details will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We expect the October 2022 races to be unique and historic,” said Messick. “Two days of racing in Kailua-Kona meets the overwhelming demand from athletes looking to compete in a World Championships and allows us to host our deferred athletes and give more prominence to our women’s and men’s pro races.”
“We look forward to working with IRONMAN to bring two events to the island of Hawaii in October 2022,” said Mitch Roth, Mayor of Hawaii County. “As the premier sporting event on our island, IRONMAN has been a trusted community partner for over 40 years and we are immensely grateful for their willingness and ability to adapt to the needs of our community and contribute to its vitality. With that in mind, we would like to extend a sincere Mahalo to the City of St. George, Utah for providing a stage for IRONMAN competitors to compete as we prepare to welcome back our IRONMAN ʻohana in anticipation of next year’s events To be called.”
“The island of Hawaii, and Kona in particular, has had a wonderful relationship with IRONMAN and its origins for more than 40 years,” said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawai`i Visitors Bureau. “While the iconic event has brought long-lasting economic benefits to our island, what is sometimes overlooked is that IRONMAN has transformed Kona into a lifestyle destination. We support the change of IRONMAN to hold a two-day race, giving all qualified athletes from the last two years the opportunity to compete and giving the local economy a chance to benefit and regain lost tourism opportunities.”
“The loss of the last two IRONMAN World Championship races has certainly dealt us an economic blow. Our restaurants have always had a big boost from racing, athletes and their families. We are very pleased to hear that with two races next October we can plan to make up for the economic losses of the last two race cancellations,” said Luana Hospitality Principal, Eric von Platen Luder
“It’s been a challenging few years, but we’ve stayed true to our goal of creating exceptional experiences for our ‘ohana,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship Events for The IRONMAN Group. “We are grateful to our host communities in St. George and Kailua-Kona, and their local and state agencies, for their willingness to trust us. Our team is committed to delivering incredible race weeks as we add new pages to the IRONMAN World Championship history books in May and October 2022.”
IRONMAN athletes registered for the 2021 and 2022 IRONMAN World Championship, as well as athletes currently registered for the 2022 IRONMAN St. George, will be contacted directly for further information. For more IRONMAN World Championship information and event details, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.