Ironman will leave St. George after 2025 triathlon

ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah will host its final Ironman triathlon next year.

According to a news release from Ironman and the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, the final Ironman 70.3-mile race in St. George will take place on May 10, 2025.

After that, officials said, the era of these races being held in the red rock region will come to an end.

“Demands of the event, including rising costs, increasing populations around race routes, and continued pressure on resources compelled Washington County officials to evaluate all options,” the news release stated. “With input from community partners, they concluded that after a long and successful run, Ironman’s time in St. George would be celebrated and the 2025 edition would be the final one.”

Blair Stump, who lives in Tooele, has competed in the St. George triathlon twice. After hearing it will no longer be held in southern Utah after next year, he said it “broke my heart.”

“Having the Ironman race leave Utah is going to leave a big hole in the hearts of all endurance athletes who train for this race every year,” Stump told KSL TV.

St. George first hosted an Ironman event in 2010 and has held 16 subsequent events since then, according to the news release, including three world championship races.

The final race next year will involve a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.

“It’s bittersweet. We’ve had a great run with the Ironman for 15 years,” said St. George Mayor Michele Randall.

But Randall said it was time to call it quits.

“It was a huge burden on the city of St. George as far as our resources,” Randall said. “All of our police had to be on hand that day. All of our streets department (crew), setting up for a couple of days, our parks department. It took a lot of resources from the city of St. George to help with the Ironman.”

However, Randall said she’s not worried about a big economic hit to the region by losing the race.

“We never see a weekend that’s not booming with visitors,” she said.

Stump said the St. George Ironman was known for its difficulty.

“The elevation gain, the heat, the dry climate, and the run section are all very challenging,” Stump said. “The nickname for St. George is the ‘Land of Endurance.’ It is the home of so many amazing endurance athletes. The state of Utah is also a breeding ground for people who want to be active in their lifestyles.”

Stump said he hopes local organizations will step up to “fill the void” of the Ironman events leaving southern Utah.

Either way, he said he looks forward to competing in one more triathlon in St. George.

“It’s the atmosphere, it’s the community, it’s the volunteers,” Stump said. “It’s the beauty of St. George that I’m not sure how I’m going to get without Ironman being there.”