Oh, I know. I’m just being silly.
As an aside, I didn’t know that they were actually looking to put in a bid. Though rumour has it that the current Mayor isn’t running again, so we’ll see what comes of it
IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIRMED FOR BALBOA, ORANGE COUNTY
IRONMAN CEO Scott DeRue today confirmed that the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will be held in Balboa, Orange County, California, dismissing widespread speculation about alternative venues. “We looked at a lot of options,” said DeRue, “but we kept coming back to Balboa. It just felt like we had to lock that down.” Race starter will be noted Newport Beach socialite Lucille Austero, and famed local attorney Barry Zuckerkorn describing the event as “completely above board, and I have looked that up.”
The swim will take place at The Wedge. Organisers confirm the course has been swept for loose seals, though athletes are advised to remain vigilant. Title sponsor Bluth company president Gob Bluth, confirmed structural support along the entire course was “solid as a rock,” and will be serving frozen bananas on course which he deacribed as a possibly huge mistake. In light of the event’s diversity initiatives, singer Franklin will appear as color commentator alongside Bob Loblaw for the finish line broadcast.
The bike course departs Balboa, passes the OC courthouse, and concludes at the Queen Mary in Long Beach before athletes retrace the waterfront for the run, finishing in the master-planned community of Sudden Valley, from where athletes can squint to make out the distant lights of Cabo San Lucas. The finish line will be marked by the official event banner “IRONMAN FAMILY LOVE EACH OTHER” and a special performance by local artists The Hot Cops and Steve Holt.
The race expo will feature bees, beads and complimentary corn baller snacks. A Seminar for Caged Wisdom, live filming of Girls with Low Self Esteem, magician illusions by Tony Wonder will be accomanied by the Man Inside Me author Dr. Tobias Fünke, the world’s first analyst and therapist,or analrapist. Caterimg by celebrity chef Carl Weathers will showcase a variety of local stews.
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Well done. I was confused by the socialite, but swimming The Wedge cracked me up. Bravo
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I wonder how many Europeans are willing spend that much to go to a 70.3 in the US right now after Europe 3 years in a row and in 2028 as well. I can imagine it will be mostly the fitfluencers who can use it for their content and people who would never make it normally if it were in Europe..
I almost thought you were serious, because if they called that Balboa they’d have Brain Rot confirmed. But then I read the swim would take place at the wedge…
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Ironman are clearly having problems or at best ‘unresolved issue’ with their chosen venue for Ironman 70.3 WC 2027. Geographic variation points to continental North America, but who knows.
Port Elizabeth, Nice, Covid, St George, St George, Lahti, Taupo, Marbella, Nice, ???, Nice, ?Oman
Ironman have said they prefer that the IM world champs is the last main race of the calendar.
This means the venue chosen has to be suitable for a mid September race at the latest
(allowing 4 weeks before Kona - as we saw in 2023 and will in 2026 and 2028).
Cleary having problems*
@Bryancd …sorry if I missed this. Was talking to my mother in law this morning, who has a place in SG - this would be the timeframe I’d be down there hanging out with them in preparation for a race! Guess I’ve been living under a rock because she informed me that the LPGA cancelled the tour that probably helped bump IM SG events out…yes, I know the city council and the residents against road closures & sport got the stockton to malone assist in the bump as well. Have you heard if there’s a world where SG could be on the WC rotation, instead of a multi-year contract that seems to make the above folks all feisty…?
I have not heard anything but that would be awesome!
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Of all the US Venues, St. George is the best one! I am holding my breath if they can come out with a good layout related to the great Vegas area. I think either would be strong attractions from around the world since 70.3 worlds and camping at Wildflower don’t quite work together (although that venue was simply the best US half IM I have done…probably done around 15-20 US venues over time…lost count). Lake Placid would be the best but it has zero hotels beyond the first 3000 athletes (not enough for 6000)
Can either of those venues be ‘safe’ for a championship race before 15th September? Or would the compromise be a race postponed till at least the last weekend in October?
2011-12-13 worlds were in Henderson beside Vegas in early Sep. Super hot but doable but not so fun. But can leave 4-5 weeks before Kona
I just came back from Wildflower, and had a fun time camping, but maybe not for a world championship race. I wouldn’t want to combine the anxiety of possibly being cold at night, (hey, I’m from L.A.!) and then being super-hydrated and having to get out of the tent multiple times to pee, waking up everybody with zipper noise pollution after midnight. Also the noise of people who don’t have an event the next morning partying through the night. The mile-plus walk down the hill to transition and then the very steep walk back to the campsite, and that’s just to find food venders and pick up packets, same again race morning. Decent grocery store is 30 miles away. And on and on. Wildflower is a great experience, worth supporting as an indie race, but it’s fun as a one-off, not one in an IM series where you’ve got a great race performance depending on conditions.
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I think the last time I did WF in 2015, I stayed in King City and drove in Morning of, parked the car at the top of the hill (actually @robgray did) and then we rode downhill to the start, registered, put our bikes in transition and away we went. But in 2015, WF was quiet and was not the festival it was when I did it in 1996 or 2007 when I camped both times. 2010, I stayed in a house nearby with @desert_dude crew and I believe race morning I rode my bike in (around 15km), but of course had to ride bike post race. I had the most fun in 1996. It’s the year @peterreid won and I largely hung out with Pauli Kiuru who I got to know via his friend Teemu Vesaala who won IMC (I think 1994) and came to my town for XC ski racing in Canada. The camping thing really works if everyone racing is “all in” as it was in 1996. Not so much these days
…by “safe” are you referring to weather/temps/other?
Talking environment not ‘other’ and a reasonable level of assurance temperatures at noon will be safe for competitors. Ironman Rules make no specification on air temperature but that doesn’t mean that above 32oC (>90oF) is ‘safe’ for a half marathon. Of course one of Ironman’s USPs is athletes collapsing so maybe they’ll relish that possibility.
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I would love to see it in Kona, with the same start/ finish location as the ironman uses (not the 70.3 hawaii course). Be very cold see the pros go after it over the 70.3 distance there.