Ironman Recap

Last week, Santa Rosa welcomed the inaugural IRONMAN Santa Rosa. The race, with a finish in Old Courthouse Square and a course highlighting our beautiful countryside throughout the county and downtown, saw over 1,900 athletes from 49 states and 34 different countries as they raced to achieve IRONMAN status. The event was a tremendous success, according to Race Director Dave Reid. Spectators and athletes alike enjoyed the race and had nothing but great things to say about our destination.

The Chamber, Visit Santa Rosa, the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Tourism partnered with IRONMAN in bringing the competition to our area, and Visit Santa Rosa was instrumental in the success of the event, from managing event logistics to providing concierge services to visitors and athletes with information on all there is to see, do, eat, drink, and explore in our area.

Member businesses were featured in a variety of printed collateral produced by Visit Santa Rosa including pieces that celebrated area wineries, shopping and a dine-around guide. The dine-around guide featured area restaurants and IRONMAN provided each athlete with a meal voucher as an incentive to visit and enjoy local eateries.

An economic impact analysis will come later this year, but it’s anticipated that both the half and full IRONMAN events, have brought over $13 million to our county and city.