Des Moines, Iowa Announced as Newest Host of Full-Distance IRONMAN Triathlon and Will Be Designated as the IRONMAN North American Championship

October 20, 2021

- IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines to shift to full-distance triathlon with 2022 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Des Moines is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 12 - General registration for the 2022 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN Des Moines triathlon to open on Monday, November 1, 2021, by visiting, www.ironman.com/im-des-moines

DES MOINES, Iowa. / TAMPA, Fla. (October 20, 2021) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – IRONMAN announced today that Des Moines, Iowa will become the newest host of a full-distance IRONMAN^® triathlon. Following the excitement built off the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® event in 2021, the new full-distance IRONMAN triathlon will take the place of the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon and be designated as the 2022 IRONMAN North American Championship. With this selection, Des Moines enters an elite group of cities to host regional championships and welcome some of the best athletes in the world. The Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Des Moines is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 12, 2022 with general registration for the new event opening on Monday, November 1.

“We’ve developed a fantastic partnership here in Des Moines since we first announced an event in 2019 and could not be more proud to announce this new full-distance IRONMAN race here in Iowa’s capital city,” said Keats McGonigal, Vice President of Operations, North America for The IRONMAN Group. “There isn’t a better venue to host this race than Des Moines, and we know that having this city as the host for the 2022 IRONMAN North American Championship will showcase this region of the country. We look forward to building the foundation for a long-lasting legacy of IRONMAN events in Des Moines.”

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 several airlines service the Des Moines International Airport. Additionally, a quarter of the U.S. population is within a one-day drive.

“Hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 earlier this year was our warm-up, and now we’re ready for the encore,” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines. “Des Moines put in the work and everything from the course to the community-wide support impressed. Now we’re prepared to put in twice the work and have twice as much fun hosting the prestigious full-distance IRONMAN North American Championship!”

Similar to the IRONMAN 70.3 event, the new Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN Des Moines will take athletes on a tour of Des Moines, West Des Moines, and scenic surrounding areas of Polk County and Dallas County offering the perfect IRONMAN venue for athletes who want to set their personal best. Competitors can expect a smooth and scenic swim, bike and run through Des Moines most picturesque streets and memorable landmarks with a lively finish line in beautiful Downtown Des Moines.The Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Des Moines triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship^® in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.

For more information on the 2022 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Des Moines triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/im-des-moines.  Athlete inquiries may be directed to desmoines@ironman.com. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

###

About Catch Des Moines

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 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 The Sun-Herald City2Surf^®, Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and gravel racing like Gravel Epic^®, 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. 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, Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.