IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon Continues to Impress Athletes, Impact Local Businesses — Sport Oregon Voices

Third-annual IRONMAN triathlon to take place in Salem on Sunday, July 23

Just over two years ago, organizers began planning the first-ever IRONMAN competition to take place in the state of Oregon. With an incredibly short runway of seven months from announcement to event, that first IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon held in Salem in 2021 was nothing short of a grand success.

And it’s just kept building from there.  

Coming up on Sunday, July 23, the third-annual IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon will take place, once again in Salem and the surrounding area. About 2,500 athletes are expected to participate in the event, with a majority of those coming from out of state. This year’s event, which is sold out, is one of the 118 IRONMAN 70.3 events put on worldwide. It also serves as a qualifier for the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, which will be held in Taupō, New Zealand.

Over its first two years, Oregon’s IRONMAN competition has proved to be a huge success for all involved, not the least of which being the Salem-area economy.

Last year’s IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon – hosted by Travel Salem, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, the City of Salem, Travel Oregon and Sport Oregon – produced nearly $10.2 million in estimated economic impact for the Salem economy. Drawing over 2,300 athletes and 4,700-plus spectators, the 2022 event resulted in an estimated 8,668 room nights and roughly $2.2 million in lodging and occupancy tax revenue. It also resulted in more than $2.6 million in food service revenue, more than $1 million spent at food stores, nearly $1.4 million in retail sales impact and more than $1 million in arts and entertainment expenditures.  

“The event has just been extraordinary, and our community has really responded to it,” said Angie Villery, the president and CEO of Travel Salem. “It has impacted our small businesses, our wine industry, our restaurateurs, hotel industries and much more.” 

From an athlete’s perspective, the event’s reception has been overwhelmingly positive as well. Recently, the IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon triathlon was voted as having the “Best Overall Run Experience” among the 118 IRONMAN 70.3 events held globally, as part of the 2022 North America IRONMAN 70.3 Athletes’ Choice Awards. In addition, the Oregon event was recognized in the Top 10 of additional categories, including “Will Recommend to a Friend,” “Overall Bike Experience” and “Overall Venue Experience.”

The upcoming triathlon once again features a 1.2-mile downriver swim in the Willamette River, followed by a 56-mile bike ride to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge and back to Riverfront Park in Salem. The final leg consists of a 13.1-mile out-and-back run through Minto-Brown Island Park.

According to Joel Gaff, the race director for IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon, participants appreciate the rolling hills, quaint rural roads and the pastoral vineyards and agricultural scenery of the triathlon. 

Gaff says IRONMAN had long wanted to host an event in Oregon, and the confluence of events leading up to the first IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon in 2021 made it a natural fit. From a practical standpoint, there are certain requirements involved with holding a triathlon, for starters, and Salem had all the necessary infrastructure, history and enthusiasm to make it possible.

“It is an area of the country that obviously has a lot of tradition in terms of athleticism and activity,” Gaff said. “It just made sense, and finally we were able to hone in on Salem and everything really worked to make it happen. From there, it’s just blossomed into being a fan-favorite.”

Additionally, Gaff says the volunteerism surrounding the Oregon event has been a critical part of its success. He indicates “an army of about 1,000 volunteers” will supplement a staff of about 40 to help with this year’s event.

“The volunteers are such an integral part of making this event happen,” he said.

A number of volunteer positions remain available, with additional information and registration details available on the IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon website.  

“The energy in the city when the event comes into town is just amazing, and the community really comes out to support it,” Villery said. “Our community really comes out in droves to not only welcome the athletes, but support them during the race itself.”

The IRONMAN series also has a long history of giving back to the communities in which it holds its event. Since 2003, The IRONMAN Foundation, in partnership with The IRONMAN Group, has provided more than $55 million in charitable giveback to 10,000 organizations in more than 75 communities around the world, including Salem. The mission of The IRONMAN Foundation is to create positive, tangible change in race communities through grant funding and volunteerism.

With mere days remaining before this year’s sold-out IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon, it’s not too early to start thinking about next year and registration details for the 2024 event by signing up for IRONMAN updates.