How much did Washington County’s economy gain from recent Ironman 70.3 World Championship?

Lucy Charles-Barclay of England finishes the Women's Pro swim leg during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Oct. 28, 2022 in St. George, Utah | Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The recent two-day event that brought in elite athletes from across the world also culminated in record-setting impacts on the local economy.

Winner Taylor Knibb crosses the finish line of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

In a press release issued last week, the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office announced the economic impact from the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission.

Results from an athlete survey conducted by an independent research team and other data analysis indicate that the event, which took place Oct. 28-29, has delivered $62.1 million directly to the local economy. The two-day event’s impact is record-setting, far outpacing the economic impact of previous Ironman events held in Greater Zion.

“The triathlon world has been building up to this for a long time,” Kevin Lewis, former director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, said in the news release. “After years of cancellations and adjustments there was a lot of pent-up passion and eagerness in the sport. We were able to match that passion by hosting the expanded two-day IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship that we originally dreamed of.”

With eliminated travel restrictions, he said they were thrilled to see the domestic and international athletes respond with a level of enthusiasm that is a tribute to their heritage and brand.

File photo of Kevin Lewis, former director of Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office, St. George, Utah, unspecified date and location | Photo courtesy of Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office, St. George News

“This is the Land of Endurance™ and today it’s a land of opportunity as well,” Lewis added.

Including the most recent results, the three Ironman-branded World Championship events in the last 13 months have infused more than $121 million of outside money into the local community, bringing the infusion total to $222 million since the first Ironman event in Greater Zion in 2010, according to the release.

Beyond the financials, the event is anticipated to positively impact the area in a number of additional ways, including raising the profile of the community, job creation and reducing overall community taxes while reaffirming Greater Zion as a year-round sporting destination.

Athletes came from all 50 states and 104 countries, with two-thirds of the participants from outside of the United States.

“Research over the years shows that athletes visiting from outside the area spend a significant amount of money while they’re in Greater Zion and that money positively impacts every citizen who lives here,” Lewis said.

And, he said, because visiting triathletes need a place to stay, food to eat and entertainment, there are direct payments to business owners, from hotels to tour operators, that are then circulated throughout the community and helps to keep taxes lower and fund community projects.

“We have a better quality of life year-round because of the money visitors to Greater Zion spend while they’re here,” Lewis said.

Crew poses for photo at an Ironman event, St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Brittany McMichael, St. George News

The Ironman 70.3 World Championship generated more than 99,000 total room nights at hotels and rentals in Washington County. As with previous Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events, many of the over 5,500 athletes who competed visited the area ahead of time to train, boosting the overall room nights.

Most athletes traveled with supporters, resulting in an additional 17,940 guests and spectators visiting Greater Zion during the triathlon. Competitors stayed in Greater Zion for an average of 5 1/2 nights to facilitate the full schedule of events and exploration of the area. Overnight guests in Washington County each pay a Transient Room Tax of 4.25%, which goes to the county for tourism development and infrastructure.

Over the past decade, $25 million from TRT funds have been invested in projects throughout the county to the benefit of local residents and visitors. Projects supported by TRT funds include various trail systems, the Snake Hollow Bike Park, Greater Zion Stadium at Utah Tech University and more.

The thousands of visitors in Greater Zion for the event also frequented area businesses injecting direct funds from outside the region into area restaurants, shops, outfitters and more. An infusion of revenue is also generated for event infrastructure, labor and operation costs, which adds to the total economic impacts locally.

This revenue from visitors stimulates the economy and helps to reduce the overall taxes paid by county residents by more than $1,200 per household, per year. Washington County enjoys the lowest property taxes in the state of Utah, thanks in part to the tourism funds generated on an annual basis.

Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt celebrates his victory in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in downtown St. George, Oct. 29, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

“I’m so happy for our community. They give so graciously to create a meaningful championship experience,” Lewis said. “This infusion of revenue into our businesses is a significant reward for years of dedication. We’ve built a world-championship level community, and a brand of life that the world is literally racing to be a part of.”

Known as The Land of Endurance, Greater Zion has become a pinnacle stop for Ironman competitors, who want to visit both for the competition and the beauty of the course and surrounding area. The athlete survey reinforced the pull the destination has on competitors with more than 75% of respondents indicating that they planned to return to Greater Zion in the future. In total, 67% of the triathletes were first-time visitors to the area.

Local enthusiasm for the event was also high with more than 4,000 volunteers answering the call to support the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Many volunteers donate time to local Ironman events on an annual basis as a way to give back to their community and contribute to the inspiring event that brings so many visitors to the area.

Age group athletes look on prior to the start of the swim leg during the Ironman 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah | Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for Iron

“Thousands of deeply personal, super human accomplishments were on display in our community, but not all of them were from the competitors,” Lewis added. “Thousands of volunteers, agency workers and community residents pulled together to serve up a world championship like none that have ever happened.

“The economic benefit to our businesses and residents is certainly one of the benefits, but the sense of accomplishment inside each individual involved may be the most significant reward.”

Many local charitable groups in Greater Zion also directly benefited from the race through donations from The Ironman Foundation. The Ironman Foundation distributed $75,000 in giveback to charitable initiatives and groups in the greater St. George region in conjunction with the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission.

Combined with the giveback for the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission that took place in May, The Ironman Foundation’s overall 2022 giveback in St. George will be over $190,000, bringing the total amount awarded to the region to over $655,000 since Ironman started conducting events in St. George in 2010.

In the coming weeks, the Greater Zion Tourism & Convention Office expects to see additional data indicating the number of spectators who watched the race globally via Outside.TV, as well as data about media reach and coverage.

Ironman athletes and fans are set to return to Greater Zion on May 6, 2023 when the community will host the Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 North American Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission.

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