Is A Full Ironman Coming To Boulder?
Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper is reporting that Boulder is inching closer to wrapping up the process to host a full-distance Ironman.
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Boulder’s Daily Camera newspaper is reporting that Boulder is inching closer to wrapping up the process to host a full-distance Ironman.
Boulder could move one step closer Tuesday night to hosting a full Ironman triathlon if the City Council gives its approval.
The City Manager’s Office is seeking the council’s support to enter into final negotiations with race organizers.
Organizers from World Triathlon Corp., which runs the Ironman competitions, had approached the city to see whether there would be support for a multi-year contract to host an Ironman event based around the Boulder Reservoir and downtown Boulder.
According to a memo to the City Council, the agreement would most likely be for a race in early August. The multi-year agreement would provide for races to be held through 2018.
City officials estimate the Ironman would cost the city about $71,000 a year. Race organizers are seeking police assistance with logistics, such as street closures and security, and for the city to waive permit fees and entrance fees at the Boulder Reservoir. They also may ask for minor street repairs.
In contrast, last year’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge cost the city $283,481 to host. It brought in $48,000 in additional tax revenue from non-resident spectators, far less than organizers had anticipated.
Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, declined to speculate about how much the Ironman might bring to Boulder. (She said she “got burned” on her estimates for the Pro Cycling Challenge.)
However, she said Ironman has the potential to bring far more out-of-town and even out-of-state participants and their families and is a great match for Boulder.
“It matches so many of the elements that are important to the Boulder brand,” she said. “There are so many people interested in the Ironman. It has an incredible reputation.”
Read more: Dailycamera.com
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