Ironman Triathlon Coming to Region in 2020

Posted on July 31st, 2019

Ironman announced that the Roanoke Region will serve as a multi-year host venue for the Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon. The event will take place on June 7, 2020. General registration will open on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The announcement was made July 30 at River’s Edge.

“The excitement surrounding the addition of Roanoke to the IRONMAN ‘Ohana’ is extremely high,” said Keats McGonigal, Senior Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group. “There is a long history of endurance events in Virginia’s Blue Ridge area, including road cycling, mountain biking, and running. Bringing the IRONMAN 70.3 event to this destination provides a picturesque venue where athletes can achieve their dreams of crossing the finish line in the sport of triathlon.”

The event will offer 40 age-group qualifying slots to the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupõ, New Zealand.

For outdoor lovers, Roanoke offers a bevy of hiking and biking trails convenient to downtown and is a designated Silver-Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The region has staked its claim as America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital and is the perfect setting for an IRONMAN 70.3 event.

The 2020 Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon will begin with a rolling start format. The race will include a 1.2-mile swim at Carvins Cove, 56-mile bicycle ride through Botetourt County, and a 13.1 mile run on the Roanoke River Greenway. The finish line for the event will be at River’s Edge Park.

You can find more course information here.