Ironman California is back for 2021
Ironman California will take place on Oct. 24, 2021 in Sacramento.
Ironman announced last night that Sacramento will host a new full-distance racing, marking the return of Ironman California.
There probably aren’t a lot of us who remember the original Ironman California event, held at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base in Oceanside, California in 2000. A few years later the event was turned into a half-distance race and would eventually become one of the most popular 70.3 races in North America.
Despite being the state with possibly the largest number of triathletes, California hasn’t had much luck with full-distance races, though. (Lake Tahoe had a short run with a full-distance race for a couple of years, but that race was cancelled after the 2015 event.)
Ironman California is back, though, for 2021, with last night’s announcement of Ironman California in Sacramento. The new event means that the Ironman Santa Rosa race which takes place on July 25, will be a one-off race and Ironman racing will continue in future years in Sacramento.
“Following the sunset edition of the Ironman Santa Rosa triathlon taking place on July 25, 2020, the inaugural Ironman California triathlon will continue the strong tradition of triathlon that has been built in the region offering the only full-distance Ironman event in the state,” Ironman officials stated in the release.
Sacramento serves as California’s state capital, is the fifth largest city in the state and is an easy drive from Oakland and San Francisco. According to the release:
The city is known as one of the most historic cities in the state, filled with vibrant landmarks, museums, culture and farm-to-fork restaurants with local craft beer and wine. Considered to have a Mediterranean climate characterized by mild winters and dry summers, Sacramento offers ideal weather conditions for outdoor lovers making for a vibrant, active community.
The race will serve as a qualifier for the 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Registration for the inaugural Ironman California race is set to open in July, 2020. Information can be found at www.ironman.com/im-california.
