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Visit Sacramento reaches multiyear agreement to keep California’s only Ironman triathlon

Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com

One of the nation’s only Ironman triathlons will stay in Sacramento for years to come.

Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento, said the city has reached a multiyear agreement to extend its current three-year deal with Ironman. The new five-year deal will keep the event in Sacramento through 2028.

“The partnership between Ironman and Visit Sacramento has been valuable and rewarding for both entities,” Testa said. “Certainly, Ironman has been pleased with the popularity of the event in Sacramento and we’ve been thrilled to align with such a strong international brand, as well as the significant economic impacts that it has delivered to our community. We look forward to this great partnership for many years to come.”

The California Ironman is one of 12 in the United States and the only one in the state. The event offers age group qualifying slots for the Ironman World Championship, which is held each year in Hawaii.

The 2023 California Ironman, which is already sold out with 4,000 athletes expected to converge on Sacramento, will be held Oct. 22. The competition will feature a 2.4-mile downriver swim starting in the American River and ending near Tower Bridge, a flat and fast 112-mile bicycle course through farm and wine territory, and a 26.2-mile run.

Testa said he expects the economic impact to be significantly higher than last year’s estimated $15 million. Testa said athletes and their supporters will stay in Sacramento from five to 10 days to acclimate and sample the course and recover after the race. By comparison, Testa said, most city conventions bring just over 1,000 people to Sacramento for two to three days.