Ironman, known for its long-distance triathlon races, is coming to Happy Valley.
A 70.3-mile triathlon that consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run — also known as a Half Ironman — will kick off July 2, 2023. It will be the only such race in Pennsylvania, and Happy Valley will host it for the next three years, with the possibility of extending it even longer.
The announcement for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley Triathlon was made at Beaver Stadium on Thursday morning, involving a mixture of government officials, Ironman officials and representatives from both Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Penn State.
“When we try to identify a community that we want to host a race in, it’s very important that we find someone that has the passion, and the commitment, and that core value to us, which is anything is possible,” said Drew Wolff, regional director for The Ironman Group. “And it’s here in State College. It’s here in Happy Valley. And so we can’t be more excited to call this home now.”
Josh Moyer earned his B.A. in journalism from Penn State and his M.S. from Columbia. He’s been involved in sports and news writing for nearly 20 years. He counts the best athlete he’s ever seen as Tecmo Super Bowl’s Bo Jackson.