70.3 Worlds expected to create $30 million windfall for St. George
Three Ironman world championships in 13 months provide $85 million impact to region
Photo by: Kevin MackinnonThere’s a reason St. George and the surrounding region are so happy to keep hosting Ironman world championship events – the events have provided a huge economic impact to the area. According to reports from Ironman and the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office, this weekend’s race is likely to generate $30 million in revenue to the region, and the three Ironman events the community has hosted in the last 13 months – the 2021 Ironman 70l3 World Championship (September, 2021), the 2021 Ironman World Championship (May, 2022) and this weekends Ironman 70.3 World Championship – will offer a reported $85 million impact.
Typically, at Ironman 70.3 World Championship events, athletes, along with their friends and families, stay an average of six nights in the host city, Ironman reported in the release.
Related: An Ironman World Championship in St. George is tough … really, really tough
At the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, it was estimated that there were 20,000 visitors to the region for the event, which had 5,000 participants.
St. George and Greater Zion have been hosting Ironman races since 2010. The first two years featured full-distance races, but eventually the city became a regular host of a 70.3 race.