Ironman announces US and Canadian full-distance schedule and new “Flex90” program

We knew that Ironman Mont-Tremblant wouldn’t be on the list, with Ironman Coeur d’Alene and Tulsa also disappearing from the 2024 full-distance schedule for next year. You can see the full list of Ironman races available in Canada and the United States below.

Possibly of more interest, though, is a new program that Ironman has announced. The company has announced a new “Flex90” program that offers “early entry benefits” to athletes who register for an Ironman event within the first 90 days that registration opens.

Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant rescheduled to take place alongside full-distance event in August

For years athletes have expressed frustration with Ironman’s refund and deferral policies, but the company has been gradually changing that attitude. While some were frustrated that they couldn’t get refunds for events that were cancelled due to COVID, Ironman offered a number of deferral and transfer options. Earlier this year we saw Ironman step up when the company offered deferrals and refunds after the cancellation of Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant (see above), even though the cancellation was due to circumstances out of the company’s control and Ironman wasn’t required to offer those options.

Now Ironman is offering an incentive to athletes to register early for races – gone are the days when events were filling up within hours or minutes, it would appear. The new program gives registered athletes options to change their race plans if they need to.

“With Flex90, Ironman’s First 90 Days Registration offer, if your plans change, you can adjust your race date to fit your new goal,” the company announced.  “Benefits are available when you register for an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 event within the First 90 Days of the event’s registration opening and are redeemable up to 45-days prior to its start date for transfers or deferrals, or up to 7-days prior to its start date for withdrawals.”

The new program allows athletes to defer to the following year “fee-free” as long as they make the request, in writing, “45 days before the scheduled race day.” There’s also fee-free transfer (again, as long as the request is made at least 45 days before the race) to another “Ironman or Ironman 70.3 event within the same calendar year, and within the same region as the original registration.”

Ironman gets win in COVID-19 refund lawsuit

There’s also a partial registration refund if you withdraw from an event, including a 50 per cent refund up to four months before race day and 25 per cent refund less than four months before race day.

The Flex90 program also includes a payment plan which allows athletes to “pay via a three-part payment plan.”

Here’s that list of full-distance Ironman races on offer in Canada and the USA in 2024:

April 27, 2024	Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas *Registration Now open; limited spots remain
July 21, 2024	Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid *Registration Now open; limited spots remain
Aug. 25, 2024	IRONMAN Canada
Sept. 8, 2024	IRONMAN Wisconsin
Sept. 21, 2024	IRONMAN Maryland
Sept. 29, 2024	IRONMAN Chattanooga
Oct. 20, 2024	Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California
Nov. 2, 2024	Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida
Nov. 17, 2024	IRONMAN Arizona