A father and son embrace after finishing the running portion of the IRONMAN 70.3 Des Moines on June 20, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Athletes from around the world are gathering in Des Moines on Sunday for our first-ever full Ironman triathlon.
What's happening: A 2.4 mile swim in Gray's Lake starting at 5:30am.
- 112-mile bike ride starting west towards West Des Moines, then south to Winterset. Then it heads back north towards Des Moines.
- It ends with a 26.2 mile run which includes three loops back around Gray's Lake, towards downtown through Locust Street. The finish line is in the Court Avenue district.
What to know: Expect road and trail closures throughout the metro.
Who we're excited to watch: Everybody! But especially Stephen Turkovich, who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and is still determined to compete.
Best places to watch: The early-morning swim at Gray's Lake, anywhere along the 112-mile bike course and all afternoon along Locust Avenue, said Axios Des Moines reader and Ironman participant, Doug Cutchins.
What's next: Des Moines will host the full Ironman for the next three years.
- 😉 So if you're thinking about it — you've got time to train.
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