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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis was announced as one of four finalist cities in the United States that will have a chance to host a new Ironman triathlon in 2020.
Des Moines, Iowa; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma are the other finalists along with Memphis. The new event would be in late-spring/early-summer of 2020 and will be the first brand-new, full-distance Ironman triathlon in the country since 2014.
Officials from Ironman will visit each city during the next month and should determine the next host city by mid-June.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to bring an IRONMAN event to the Central United States,” said Shane Facteau, Chief Operating Officer for IRONMAN. “We have been looking into this particular area of the country for a while now and felt the time is right to add a brand-new full-distance IRONMAN triathlon to the U.S Series. First-class cities from around the region shared their interest with us and we are pleased to move forward with Des Moines, Fayetteville, Memphis, and Tulsa on the next stage of this process.”
The announcement was first made on a Facebook Live video.
The Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.22-mile run (a full marathon) in that order.
“Memphis is a world-class sports destination that is complemented by the amazing food and music our city is known for around the world,” said Kevin Kane, President & CEO of Memphis Tourism. “We are a city that continues to grow as a major player on the global sports stage after being selected as one of four host cities for the world for the prestigious World Golf Championships starting in 2019. IRONMAN would complement our variety of year-round sporting events that make Memphis a must-see sports destination.”
