By Bill Plock
Five days after it was announced IRONMAN Boulder was discontinued, Tulsa was awarded a full distance IRONMAN for 2020. In the latest of IRONMAN gauging a growing trend where athletes are in search of new experiences in new places, Tulsa beat out Des Moines, Fayetteville, and Memphis.
The competition will start at Keystone Lake for the swim, then transition to cycling, which will include a roundtrip to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater followed by the marathon in Tulsa at the RiverParks trails and finish in downtown.
Tulsa’s bid for the event was facilitated by VisitTulsa, the city’s convention and visitors bureau housed at the Tulsa Regional Chamber.
Existing IRONMAN communities have measured as much as $13 million in economic impact from the triathlon, with hotel room bookings of 12,000 for athletes and fans
Tulsa was one of four finalists for the endurance triathlon in 2020. Other finalists were Des Moines, Iowa; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee.
Stay tuned for more thoughts on the departure of Boulder and this growing trend of new IRONMANS in new locations.
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