IRONMAN ANNOUNCES DES MOINES, IOWA AS HOST CITY OF NEW 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 TRIATHLON; RACE TO SERVE AS 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
- Certified Piedmontese Beef to serve as title sponsor for inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Des Moines, taking place on Sunday, June 21, 2020
- General Registration to open Tuesday, July 9 for the first ever IRONMAN branded event in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa / TAMPA, Fla. (June 24, 2019) – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Group company, is excited to announce that Des Moines, Iowa has been selected as a new multi-year host venue, beginning with Des Moines hosting the 2020 IRONMAN® 70.3® North American Championship. Certified Piedmontese Beef will serve as the title partner for the new triathlon taking place on June 21, 2020. General registration for the inaugural Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Des Moines triathlon will open on Tuesday, July 9 with more information available at www.ironman.com/desmoines70.3.
“We are excited to have a first-class city like Des Moines, Iowa join the IRONMAN 70.3 series of events,” said Shane Facteau, Chief Operations Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “As we went through a process to identify new host cities in the Central United States, the response that we witnessed by our athletes and the local Des Moines community was incredible. Couple this with the experience that the city brings with hosting championship events and it was the right opportunity to add Des Moines to the IRONMAN `Ohana. From the beautiful Gray’s Lake Park and Water Works Park, Des Moines and the surrounding areas has a great deal to offer and we look forward to our future here.”
Iowa’s capital city 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 in Des Moines. Getting to the metro is easy from virtually any location worldwide as seven airlines service the Des Moines International Airport. Additionally, a quarter of the U.S. population is within a one-day drive. More than 13,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 locally owned restaurants greet visitors as they arrive to enjoy the area. Des Moines was also recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top-five place to live in the United States.
“Like any great sports drama, this journey was filled with intrigue, teamwork and ultimately ended with a championship,” said Greg Edwards, President & CEO of Catch Des Moines. “The passion and commitment of our community was on full display during this journey. We are thrilled to be entering into a multi-year agreement with IRONMAN, and excited for the impact it will have on our region.”
The 2020 Certified Piedmontese 70.3 North American Championship Des Moines, taking place on Sunday, June 21, 2020, will be a flat, quick course covering Des Moines, West Des Moines, and areas of rural Polk County. This is the perfect IRONMAN 70.3 venue for athletes who want to set their personal best. Starting with the swim in Gray’s Lake just miles from the heart of downtown Des Moines, athletes will take on calm, moderate waters as they do a single-loop swim course. As athletes leave transition on their bikes, they’ll begin to conquer a completely closed bike course that rolls through scenic Water Works Park, brand-new roads in West Des Moines and the rural beauty of Iowa that will take cyclists through a mix of corn fields and city views. It truly is a “Field of Dreams”. Rolling hills and flat roads will highlight a course that’s inviting to all athletes striving for a personal best. Once off the bike, athletes will begin their run course at Gray’s Lake Park and make their way towards downtown Des Moines. A two-loop run course will highlight the Des Moines River, Raccoon River, the State Capitol, and Pappajohn Sculpture Park, as well as many of Des Moines’s favorite restaurants and shops, making this a course all athletes and spectators will enjoy. The lively finish line of the 2020 Certified Piedmontese 70.3 North American Championship Des Moines is located on Court Avenue, the entertainment destination in beautiful Downtown Des Moines. It is nestled between the historic Polk County Courthouse and the Des Moines River. Period streetlamps, planters and park benches dot the sidewalks, which will be filled with fans and spectators excited to share their high fives, cow bell rings and congratulations for each finisher as they cross the finish line!
General registration for 2020 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Des Moines triathlon will open on Tuesday, July 9. The event will offer 75 age-group qualifying slots to the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupо̄, New Zealand. A professional prize purse will be published at a later date.
Certified Piedmontese Beef joins the IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines as title sponsor of the inaugural race:
As the Official Beef of the IRONMAN U.S. Series, Certified Piedmontese Beef will expand its partnership with IRONMAN to sponsor the IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines triathlon. Certified Piedmontese beef is a naturally lean and nutritious beef that’s low in fat and calories yet high in protein, providing IRONMAN athletes and their families with a healthier beef option. Originating from the Piedmont region of Italy, the breed was first introduced to North America in the 1970s; today, the cattle are raised by select family ranchers across the Great Plains. Certified Piedmontese cattle are raised through a ranch-to-fork approach that ensures traceability, environmental sustainability, humane animal handling, and responsible resource management at every step. Certified Piedmontese beef is verified all natural, which means the cattle are never given antibiotics, steroids, or hormones. Countless athletes across the country rave about the exceptional quality and nutritional profile of Certified Piedmontese beef.
“Certified Piedmontese is proud to partner with IRONMAN to bring this event to the city of Des Moines, especially given our Midwestern roots,” said Shane Peed, General Manager for Certified Piedmontese Beef. “Our goal is to not only fuel IRONMAN athletes’ journey to the finish line with our lean, verified natural, protein-packed beef, but also to offer ongoing support to the IRONMAN community and the communities in which these events are held.”
To kick-off the title partnership and show their commitment to Des Moines, Certified Piedmontese Beef has teamed up with the IRONMAN Foundation to donate 2,000 pounds of frozen Certified Piedmontese ground beef to the Food Bank of Iowa. The generous donation comes in conjunction with the IRONMAN Foundation’s $25,000 in grant funding that is set to be distributed to local nonprofit initiatives in IRONMAN’s newest race community.
For more information on the 2020 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN 70.3 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. Athlete inquiries can be directed to desmoines70.3@ironman.com. Media may contact press@ironman.com.
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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 Certified Piedmontese Beef
Exceptionally lean and incredibly tender, Certified Piedmontese Beef provides consumers and chefs with a healthier beef option without sacrificing flavor. Certified Piedmontese cattle are each DNA tested to confirm their unique heritage. Not only is the beef much lower in fat, Certified Piedmontese cattle are never given antibiotics or steroids. This rare breed is raised through a ranch-to-fork approach that ensures traceability, environmental sustainability, humane animal handling, and responsible resource management at every step. For more information, visit www.piedmontese.com.
About the IRONMAN Foundation
The IRONMAN Foundation® creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through IRONMAN charitable giveback programs including the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 8,300 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series athletes are powerfully linked to the community and together we leave the IRONMAN legacy behind in our race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town™, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.
As part of Wanda Sports Group, The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and The Sun-Herald City2Surf® presented by Westpac, trail running like Ultra-Trail Australia™, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 230 events across 53 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Group
Wanda Sports Group is a leading global sports events, media and marketing platform with a mission to unite people in sports and enable athletes and fans to live their passions and dreams. We have significant intellectual property rights, long-term relationships and broad execution capabilities, enabling us to deliver unrivalled sports event experiences, creating access to engaging content and building inclusive communities. We offer a comprehensive array of events, marketing and media services through three primary segments: Mass Participation, Spectator Sports and Digital, Production, Sports Solutions (DPSS). Our full-service platform creates value for our partners and clients as well as other stakeholders in the sports ecosystem, from rights owners, to brands and advertisers, and to fans and athletes.
Headquartered in Beijing, China, Wanda Sports Group has more than 60 offices and 1,600 employees around the world.