The story below is from our November/December 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
Photo above: Courtesy of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
The popular triathlon is exciting the region for far more than just the athletic component.
The Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon of Virginia’s Blue Ridge area will be hosted in the Roanoke Valley for the June 7, 2020 event, which was previously hosted in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The triathlon will feature the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge region, including Carvin’s Cove Reservoir, Botetourt County and downtown Roanoke on the Roanoke River Greenway.
Keats McGonigal, Senior Regional Director of the IRONMAN Group and Site Coordinator for the triathlon, says, “The passion of the people in Roanoke to host an IRONMAN 70.3 event is top notch. We always want to host events where athletes will be welcomed with open arms and we are confident that athletes will feel the hospitality of the entire community.”
Hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 event will not only showcase the natural beauty of the region on a global scale but will also increase tourism to the outdoor recreation hub of Western Virginia.
Western Virginia Water Authority is partnering with IRONMAN to use Carvin’s Cove Reservoir for the swimming portion of IRONMAN. Carvin’s Cove is owned by WVWA as a drinking water reservoir, where swimming is typically not allowed. The reservoir was chosen for the swimming event due to its close proximity to the Roanoke metro area and the calmer waters.
“This was a not a decision we took lightly, and we have worked closely with race organizers to make sure that the water quality and beauty of Carvin’s Cove will be preserved for the benefit of all residents,” says Sarah Baumgardner, Public Relations Manager for Western Virginia Water Authority.
Baumgardner said swimming in the reservoir is typically not allowed for safety considerations, as WVWA “would not be able to provide adequate safety or preservation of the beauty everyone enjoys at the Cove.”
“If someone had an emergency in any of the many coves in the reservoir, we would not know help was needed until it was much too late,” Baumgardner says. “The IRONMAN staff and many volunteers will provide safety and rescue staff for the athletes during the race.”
McGonigal said the IRONMAN Group expects upwards of 7,500 visitors in the Roanoke area for the triathlon, which will bring more attention to the Blue Ridge region.
“IRONMAN is a globally recognized brand. Bringing Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon to Roanoke will elevate the profile of the area on a global basis,” McGonigal says.
Dr. Thomas K. “TK” Miller, vice chair of orthopaedics and chief of sports medicine at Carilion Clinic and Chairman of the IRONMAN Global Medicine Advisory Board, says he is excited about the triathlon coming to the Roanoke Valley.
“We knew this would provide us with a very special opportunity to showcase one of the region’s greatest assets—the outdoors— to a national and international audience. The selection of Virginia’s Blue Ridge region as an IRONMAN host is a remarkable accomplishment and opportunity. It’s an honor for everyone who calls our region home,” Miller says.
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