Boulder gets an Ironman
The Ironman announced today that Boulder, Colorado will host the 10th race in the Ironman U.S. Series on August 3, 2014.
After decades as a key training ground for Ironman World Champions from including Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Paula Newby-Fraser, Chrissie Wellington, Craig Alexander and many more, the Rocky Mountain triathlon mecca finally can celebrate its own Ironman on home grounds.
“Boulder is a great triathlon city and Ironman has a rich history here through our IRONMAN 70.3® Boulder event and our partnerships with several Boulder-based companies like Newton Running and TrainingPeaks,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN.
“Boulder is the training ground for both past and present world champion triathletes,” said Dave Christen, Race Director for IRONMAN Boulder. “Because of its proximity to Denver, Boulder is the ideal Rocky Mountain region addition to the IRONMAN triathlon national calendar.”
The Ironman Boulder course will cover a wide variety of Boulder’s beautiful landscape. The swim will consist of a 2.4 mile single loop in the Boulder Reservoir, which will also be the site of the swim to bike transition. The bike course will head north of Boulder on a single-loop 112-mile course that includes Carter Lake in Larimer County. The second transition will be at Boulder High School a few blocks from the city center. The two-loop marathon run course will be entirely on the Boulder Creek Trail and the finish will be on the famed Pearl Street Mall.
Ironman Boulder will have a prize purse of $75,000 USD and will offer 50 age group slots for the Ironman World Championship on October 11, 2014. Registration will open noon on Wednesday July 17 on www.ironman.com/boulder.
The new Ironman race will complete an unofficial summer Boulder Triple Crown, and will follow Ironman 70.3 on June 15, 2014 and Boulder Peak on July 13, 2014.
The race has been embraced by city officials as a boon to local reputation and commerce.
“Boulder is an athletic community that embraces elite sports and challenging competitions,” said Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam. “IRONMAN represents our community values and affords amateur athletes, many of whom are Boulder residents, an opportunity to demonstrate their extreme mental and physical endurance.”
“This race is the perfect fit for Boulder's iconic outdoor brand and lifestyle” said Sean Maher, Executive Director of Downtown Boulder Inc. “We've put a lot of time into research and planning and we are excited about the economic impact that IRONMAN can bring to our area and local businesses.”
