Ironman has just signed a seven-year extension for Ironman Waco and Ironman 70.3 Waco – the events will continue as a “festival weekend” through 2028. Ironman 70.3 Waco has been going since 2018, with the full-distance race added in 2021. In fact, the new full-distance race wasn’t announced until April as a way for Ironman to add entries because so many of its events were full in 2021 because of deferrals. Waco became the first city in the US to host a full-distance and half-distance race on the same weekend.
“It’s going to be a seven-year extension, which brings (the contract) to a total of 10 years,” Mike Vogelaar, executive director of the Greater Waco Sports Commission told the Waco Tribune. “That’s huge, because it puts Waco on the map as a dependable and predictable destination for athletes. There’s a number of locations around the country where Ironman athletes just know the race is going to be there, and now Waco can be spoken of in the same way for the festival.”
Set in “the Heart of Texas,” Waco is renowned for its hiking and biking trails, along with the famous Magnolia Markets, making it a popular tourist attraction, and helping draw athletes and their supporters to the city for the weekend’s events.
This year’s edition of Ironman Waco will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, with the 70.3 race the next day. Both races feature a swim down the Brazos River, followed by bike and run courses through the Texas countryside of rural Waco.
