MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby Farms Park will host the inaugural St. Jude IRONMAN 70.3 race in 2020, race organizers announced Tuesday.
The triathlon will take place Oct. 3, 2020. The swimming event will take place in Hyde Lake, and the running and bike events will take place all through the park.
IRONMAN regional director Keats McGonigal said he’d never visited Memphis before he came to scout the venue, but he called Shelby Farms Park an “ideal place to host a race. This is an amazing park.”
He said local officials had been very supportive of bringing the event to the area. IRONMAN events take place all over the world.
Shelby Farms, with 4,500 acres and numerous lakes and trails, is one of the largest urban parks in the country, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said.
Memphis Tourism president Kevin Kane said the local economic impact from the race is estimated at $10 million.
“The world of fitness is taking notice of what’s going on here in Memphis and Shelby County,” Kane said.
Registration will start Dec. 10.