2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Presented By Utah Sports Commission Expected To Create Total Economic Impact Of More Than $30 Million Dollars

October 26, 2022

Third IRONMAN-branded World Championship event in 13 months will bring total economic impact to over $85 million dollars within St. George and the surrounding areas; Nearly $190 million in economic impact to the local economy since IRONMAN events first began 12 years ago; Known as the Land of Endurance, athletes, family, friends, volunteers, partners, and staff return to St. George and surrounding Greater Zion to enjoy the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, which will take place over two days on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 26, 2022) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The top professional and age-group triathletes are once again in St. George, Utah for the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission, with this event making history as the third IRONMAN-branded World Championship event to be held in one location within 13 months. Known as the Land of Endurance, the Southwestern community of St. George, Utah, United States and the surrounding Greater Zion regions including Hurricane, Washington City, Santa Clara, and Ivins, has become a pinnacle setting for the best athletes in the world to compete, while also bringing their family and friends along to enjoy the natural beauty, landmarks, and iconic hospitality of the area.

Whether they are returning to St. George and the Greater Zion region or visiting for the first time, those in town for the event are projected to generate a total economic impact of more than $30 million. From past IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons, it can be expected that athletes and their friends and families stay an average of six nights in the host city. Between the three IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events in St. George within the past 13 months, which took place in Sept. 2021, May 2022, and now, Oct. 2022, the total economic impact generated from the events is expected to be over $85 million.

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to return to St. George and Greater Zion, for what will be a historic two days of world championship racing,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship Events for The IRONMAN Group. “Our athletes, volunteers, fans, spectators, and staff have been vocal about their love and admiration for this venue as it offers so much beyond race days. Between the local businesses, national parks, and Land of Endurance hospitality, the economic impact from the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is widespread within the region and it is an honor to once again show the world the beauty and magic that is Greater Zion.”

Along with two days of racing, the women on Friday, Oct. 28 and the men on Saturday, Oct. 29, there is nearly a week of side events and festivities, providing something for the whole family. Whether it be the Land of Endurance Fun Run, the Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital IRONKIDS St. George Fun Run, shopping and exploring local fare in St. George’s walkable downtown, or for the adventurous, exploring the more than 65 miles of urban trails.

St. George and Greater Zion will again be on the global stage as more than 6,000 athletes from 104 countries, regions, and territories are registered for the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. While athletes are also expected to bring thousands of friends and family to the Greater Zion region for the event, additional eyes from around the world will be on Utah as both race days will be available through live coverage on Outside TV, with race preview content available on all IRONMAN’s social media channels.

“As we host our third world championship in 13 months, legends continue to rise. The communities and residents in the Land of Endurance are showcasing the incredible sense of optimism and goodness that is here, and the world is witnessing it first-hand,” said Kevin Lewis, Director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. “It is thrilling to join with so many in accomplishing something so meaningful.”

St. George and Greater Zion are naturally set up as prime locations for triathlon and has been a host venue for IRONMAN races since 2010. The course has reached levels of infamy with breathtaking scenery and views of the surrounding red rock canyons. Starting with a 1.2-mile (1.9km) swim in Sand Hollow Reservoir located in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. Athletes will move to a challenging 56-mile (91.3km) bike, making their way through stunning desert landscapes with 3,201 feet (1003 meters) of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb into Snow Canyon State Park and surrounding Washington County. The 13.1-mile (21.2km) run will then take athletes on two loops through historic downtown St. George, where the finish line is located, with the route also showcasing Dixie Red Hills Golf Course (the first golf course in St. George) on one end and the beautiful Vernon Worthen Park on the other.

Tune into the two days of live race-day coverage of the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon presented by Utah Sports Commission globally via Outside Watch

For more information about the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission event, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About Intermountain Healthcare

Located in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, the Intermountain Medical Group with some 2,700 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health plans division called SelectHealth, Homecare, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.

About Utah Sports Commission

The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted nearly 900 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

In 2006 the inaugural IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship was held in Clearwater, Florida becoming another test for the world’s elite triathletes. Since that auspicious beginning, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship has grown in stature and popularity moving first to Henderson, Nevada in 2011, where athletes encountered a more challenging terrain and then to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec—its first stop on the new “global rotation” for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. The event reached European soil for the first time ever in 2015, with Zell am See, Austria, hosting an epic and memorable event. In 2016, the race moved from the mountains to the beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. In 2017, the race returned to the United States, taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it became a two-day event for the first time. In 2018, the event reached the African continent for the first time and was hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. Continuing the rotation, 2019 saw the French Riviera and Nice, France play host to the ever-growing IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship event. After a year in which the event was not able to take place due to a global pandemic, the race returned in 2021 with over 3,500 athletes competing in St. George, Utah. The event will again take place in St. George, Utah, returning to a two-day format on October 28-29, 2022, before shifting to Lahti, Finland on August 26-27, 2023 and Taupō, New Zealand on December 14-15, 2024. Historically, more than 200,000 athletes have participated annually in a series of qualifying races, consisting of over 100 global events. Hosting more than 5,000 athletes from around the world, participants in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship have ranged in age from 18 to 85-plus. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship.

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. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. 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, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.