100 South Mill Avenue

Event: Ironman Arizona

From Chad at City of Tempe

Event description:  Ironman Arizona is taking place in Tempe and the surrounding area.  What is Ironman triathlon? Ironman Triathlon is one of the most grueling events in the world of sport, and also one of the most inspiring. Ironman triathlon features a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a complete marathon (26.2 miles) all in succession. Athletes have 17 hours to complete the event (from the 7 a.m. start until midnight). Ironman History Ironman triathlon had the humblest of beginnings, as a group of Navy Seals who were stationed in Hawaii , were discussing who the fittest athletes in the world were. Were swimmers, cyclists or runners the fittest? Navy commander John Collins and his wife, Judy decided there was only one way to find out, and that was to do (combine) all three at once. So on Feb. 18, 1978 15 competitors decided to put themselves to the test by swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. “Whoever finishes first will be call the Ironman,” Collins said. And thus, Ironman Triathlon was born. 2003 marked the 25th anniversary of that first event and the growth of Ironman has been spectacular. Since those humble beginnings, the sport of Ironman has developed into an international phenomenon. Ironman touches all corners of the globe and has races on all of the continents of the world except Antarctica . With 18 full-distance races worldwide, more than 22,000 athletes are expected to compete in Ironman events in 2008. The growth of Ironman has been exponential in nature. As recently as August of 1998 there was one Ironman event in all of North America, and none at all in the United States.

Date: Sunday, November 23, 2008 

Contact: Paul Huddle  

Event Hours: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 NA Sports Merchandise Store Open 12pm-8pm

                    Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 Open Water Swim 8am-10am

                    Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 NA Sports Merchandise Store 8am-8pm

                    Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 Packet Pick-up & Expo 10am-4:00pm

                    Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 Open Water Swim 8am-10am

                    Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 NA Sports Merchandise Store 8am-8pm

                    Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 Packet Pick-up and Expo 10am-4:00pm

                    Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 Athlete Welcome Dinner

                    Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 Open Water Swim 8am-10am

                    Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 Kids Race 8am

                    Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 NA Sports Merchandise Store 8am-8pm

                    Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 Bike and gear bag check 10am-3pm

                    Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 Expo 10am-4:30pm

                    Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 IRONMAN RACE 7am-12am

                    Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 NA Sports Merchandise Store 8am-4pm

                    Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 Awards Banquet ( Arts Park ) 9am

                    Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 Volunteer Thank you party ( Arts Park ) 5:30pm

Marina Impact: The Lake will be closed from 5am-12pm

Access to the Marina will be available the rest of the day, although, the run will go through the Marina parking lot.  There will be parking and access to the ramps after 12pm.  See the course map attached for road closures.

Admission Cost: Free for spectators

Expected Attendance: 20000 

For Public information: http:// www.ironmanarizona.com

Staff: Contact # 480-250-5445

Chad Holmes

City of Tempe

Recreation Coordinator

Parks & Recreation-Special Events

480.350.5847 office

480.350.5845 fax

chad_holmes@tempe.gov