DES MOINES, Iowa / TAMPA, Fla. (June 8, 2022) – The IRONMAN Group in partnership with Catch Des Moines have agreed to a three-year extension for Des Moines, Iowa to serve as a host venue for IRONMAN® branded events annually through 2025. Des Moines, Iowa first hosted an IRONMAN triathlon in 2021 following a two-year delay due to the pandemic, and this weekend, the event returns with the 2022 Certified Piedmontese Beef IRONMAN® North American Championship Des Moines. The event will rotate back to a half-distance IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon in 2023, scheduled to take place on June 11.
“Since first announcing an IRONMAN event would come to Des Moines, Iowa in 2019, the Des Moines community and its athletes have rallied around the event and made it a great destination for our calendar. We are excited about today’s announcement that IRONMAN will be in Des Moines for the next three years and we’re also looking forward to celebrating all the accomplishments of this weekends North American Championship at the 2022 Certified Piedmontese Beef IRONMAN® North American Championship Des Moines,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director North America for The IRONMAN Group.
Iowa’s capital city, Des Moines is the hidden gem of the Midwest where urban meets rural and midwestern hospitality is a way of life. Filled with art, history, and activities, Des Moines has something for everyone. Des Moines and its surrounding communities boast big amenities in a safe and accessible location. Greater Des Moines provides all the adventure and reward of a high-profile city without the inflated cost. Cultural events and festivals coupled with bike trails, parks, and lakes give residents and visitors of all ages plenty to do and see. Getting to the metro is easy from virtually any location worldwide as seven airlines service the Des Moines International Airport.
“We were pumped to host back-to-back IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events and show that Des Moines stacks up with the best,” said, Greg Edwards, CEO and president of Catch Des Moines. “This announcement of a three-year extension shows the commitment of all our communities, whether it’s Des Moines and West Des Moines, or our passionate triathlon community, to bring world-class events like this one to the metro. All that hard work is paying off; like they say, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!”
Following this weekends event, the Certified Piedmontese Beef IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines will return in 2023 on Sunday, June 11. The event will see athletes swim in Grays Lake before taking on a bike through rural West Des Moines, Dallas, and Madison Counties. The last leg of the race will take athletes on a tour through downtown Des Moines, where crowds of spectators line the streets for an unforgettable finish.
For more information on the 2023 Certified Piedmontese Beef IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/desmoines70.3. For more information on this weekend’s 2022 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Des Moines triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/desmoines. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries be directed to press@ironman.com.
###
About Catch Des Moines
The Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, collectively known as Catch Des Moines, is the official destination marketing organization promoting and representing Greater Des Moines to leisure travelers and meeting/sports planners. Our focus is to increase visitors to the metro and elevate the visitor experience to drive economic success and enhance the quality of life in the 15 local Greater Des Moines communities we represent. For more information, visit www.catchdesmoines.com.
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 City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events including Haute Route®, 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.