Ironman Arizona canceled due to COVID-19 case increase

The Ironman Arizona triathlon scheduled for Nov. 22 was canceled Thursday as a precaution, due to concerns over the rise in new cases of coronavirus, the organization announced in an emailed statement.

Although a half-Ironman was successful in October and the organization’s proposed heath and safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 “satisfied” regional safety and health authorities, a rise in cases in and around Tempe has prevented the event to go as planned.

Ironman Arizona would have been the first full Ironman race held in the U.S. since December 2019. The Ironman World Championships in Hawaii were canceled for the first time since their inception in 1978 in response to the pandemic, along with other races across the world.

COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose by 1,399 Thursday with 12 reported deaths, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. New cases have surpassed 1,000 for 14 of the past 17 days, with four days seeing more than 2,000 new cases for the first time since summer.

As of Thursday, Arizona has seen a total of 266,562 positive COVID-19 known cases and 6,240 known deaths.

Ironman Arizona 70.3 took place on Oct. 18. with about 800 participants — half of its usual turnout. Athletes wore masks before and after the race and followed social distancing guidelines.

A full Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. In a normal year the race draws about 2,500 athletes. Training for the event can last a year.

“While we are prevented from holding the event in 2020, we thank our athletes for their commitment and look forward to providing them with an exceptional race experience in the future,” the statement said.

Ironman Arizona will return on Nov. 21, 2021.