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Ironman 70.3 to make its debut in Ruidoso on July 12
5150 and sprint triathlon races set for July 11
It鈥檚 no small feat to be selected as the host for an Ironman race.
On July 12, Ruidoso will be officially inducted into the family when it serves as the site for an Ironman 70.3. This particular race is also known as a half Ironman and consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always seeking new iconic venues that basically fit our experience for our athletes. And we felt like Ruidoso was a good fit for us,鈥� Todd Fitzgerald, Ironman regional director, said. 鈥淥ur events, especially in the inaugural, don鈥檛 happen in one year. It鈥檚 over years of conversations.
鈥溾�� It鈥檚 pretty magical to bring a marquee brand event like Ironman to a destination.鈥�
Interest level is always high. Registration for the Ruidoso Ironman is already full, with more than 1,200 participants competing in the 70.3 alone. The event attracts athletes from all over the United States, including significant numbers from Texas, Colorado, Arizona and California. There will also be participants from Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France and Finland. This 70.3 will be an amateur event, so no prize purse will be awarded to winners. However, it is possible that future iterations will be opened up to the professionals.
The city will also host a 5150 and a sprinter鈥檚 triathlon on July 11. These events, Fitzgerald said, serve as an ideal introduction to triathlon without diving headlong into the longer races. The 5150 includes a .93 mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run, while the sprint features a 0.5 mile swim, a 12.4 mile bike course and a 3.1 mile run.
鈥淭his is a market that we want to grow, and we figured that doing a 70.3 right off the bat would be a little challenging,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to basically give athletes and people around a chance to enter into the sport.鈥�
Regardless of the race one chooses, the course itself is the primary attraction. Even with an event that spans well over 170 qualifying races in more than 50 countries, Ruidoso stands out from the crowd. When a new race is announced, many competitors arrive early to get the lay of the land.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just going to be unique. It鈥檚 a mountain village. We don鈥檛 have a lot of events like that in North America,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淚f you wanted to do an event like this, you鈥檇 have to go to Europe or somewhere else because there鈥檚 going to be elevation. And it鈥檚 going to be somewhat challenging by course because they鈥檙e going up and down a mountain valley.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of events in our North America portfolio that check that box.鈥�
Those who compete in an Ironman 70.3 have to seriously commit to training 鈥� Fitzgerald estimates at least 20 hours a week to account for the three different disciplines. That can vary depending on the athlete and the respective level of experience in swimming, biking and running. It also means juggling that training with life鈥檚 other day-to-day obligations.
鈥淲hen I was doing it, there was a lot of late night runs, I can tell you that. A lot of 10, 11 o鈥檆lock at night runs,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淏ecause you have a life. You have a family.
鈥淵ou have a career. There鈥檚 a lot of things.鈥�
The payoff is well worth the effort.
鈥淓very time I see it, I鈥檓 like, 鈥楳an, this is awesome,鈥欌�� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this on this side of the business since 2009 and still every time I see it finish, I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾his is cool.鈥欌��
For newcomers, the swim portion of the race tends to be the most daunting. However, it might very well be the most memorable aspect of the Ruidoso Ironman 70.3, as well.
鈥淚 think the swim is going to be iconic,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淲hen I was there doing visits and as we brought this event on when I went to Grindstone Lake, I was like, 鈥極h my God, this is absolutely stunning and beautiful. I can鈥檛 wait to host people here.鈥欌��
The presence of an Ironman race in a new city is also a boon financially. According to Fitzgerald, the average economic impact in a host location is about $6-$8 million. This includes lodging, dining, retail, travel and ticket sales. And once a city is selected to host an event, it tends to become a staple. At a minimum, Ironman has signed a three-year agreement with Ruidoso, with the potential for even more future dates.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 rotate events around the cities,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淲henever we do sign with a new market, our intention is to be there for the foreseeable future. We鈥檙e in some markets now for 25 years in North America.鈥�
