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SALT LAKE CITY — The Ironman World Championship has traditionally been held in Hawaii, since the event's first iteration in 1978; but due to the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19, the famous triathlon was postponed in 2021 and moved to St. George.
It's the first time the triathlon has ever been out of the state of Hawaii.
For Ironman participant Makinsie Bartholemew, who lives in Mapleton and has participated in Ironman competitions since 2014, it's a special opportunity to compete in her home state.
"It's surreal," Bartholemew said. "It is really exciting to not only participate but to have my home state be (home to) one of the most brutal Ironman courses in the world."
Utah is home to several athletes competing in the World Championship on Saturday, in part due to the many different climates and elevations across the state that allow for a unique training experience. Athletes will swap out lush tropical forests and the Pacific Ocean for desert heat and red rock scenery, which makes St. George a challenging environment for the Ironman race.
Regarded as one of the most physically- and mentally-challenging sporting events in the world, the Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.22 mile run — all in one day. Any athlete that completes all three events in their specified cutoff times is considered an "Ironman." The event, as a whole, typically has a 17-hour time limit.
The event will begin with the swim portion at Sand Hollow reservoir, followed by the bike portion that take the athletes through Snow Canyon State Park. The competition will transition to a marathon that culminates outside of downtown St. George.
The Southern Utah city is no stranger to Ironman events and recently hosted the 2021 Ironman 70.3, or "Half Ironman," World Championships in September 2021. That race will return to St. George in October 2022, as well.
After the postponed 2021 World Championship takes place this weekend, the Ironman is expected to return to its home in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, for the 2022 championship, which will take place in October.
The initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 World Championship to be canceled. And with the world still reeling a year later, the 2021 competition was originally postponed from October 2021 to February 2022.
As the clock ticked, there was no sign of COVID-19 restrictions being lifted in the state of Hawaii, so the Ironman Group was forced to either relocate or cancel the event for the second year in a row. With representatives from multiple cities around the world hoping to host the grueling race, St. George was tagged as the destination.
