California State of Mind
IRONMAN California stands out as an exceptional triathlon event set in the electric city of Sacramento, known for its fast course that provides athletes with an incredible racing experience.
Sacramento, a city filled with restaurants, shops, and a plethora of activities, serves as the perfect backdrop for this thrilling race. The flat terrain allows triathletes to unleash their full potential, with a downriver 2.4MI swim, voted one of the best swim courses in North America as voted on by athletes, a fast and flat 112MI bike through beautiful farm and wine country, and a spirited 26.2MI run lined with cheering spectators. The race culminates at an epic finish line at the California State Capitol, providing a grand and iconic backdrop for becoming an IRONMAN.
After crossing the finish line, athletes and spectators alike can indulge in the city’s culinary delights or immerse themselves in various cultural and recreational attractions. IRONMAN California captures the essence of the California State of Mind, which often embodies a sense of freedom, adventure, and a love for the outdoors, creating an unforgettable event for all athletes and their support crews.
Swim
IRONMAN California features a downriver swim with athletes starting in the American River near Township 9 Park. The 2.4 mile swim course is a point to point into the Sacramento River and exiting near the famous Tower Bridge. We’ll be sure to place the turn buoys at the confluence of the rivers in the best location to match the current.
Bike
The IRONMAN California bike course is a flat and fast, two-loop tour of the beautiful farm and wine country. The Sacramento River delta region, athletes will tour what makes Sacramento the farm to fork city, which will showcase the great agricultural region of the Central Valley. Athletes will be able to test their fitness and break their best on this flat bike course.
Run
The IRONMAN California Run will be a flat, fast two-loop run course. Athletes will start their run heading South on the River Walk Trail along the Sacramento River out to your first turnaround near the Mill Street Pier. Then, head North, where athletes will cross under the historic Tower Bridge, I Street Bridge, and run along the River Walk Trail before heading back and crossing Tower Bridge to pick up the American River Bike trail in Old Sacramento and following the tree-lined path into Discovery Park. Once the runners have reached the turnaround in Discovery Park, they will retrace their footsteps back to transition to start their second lap.
Once the runners have completed their second lap, they will run through Old Sacramento, along Front St., and back into beautiful downtown Sacramento, where you will run around the California State Capitol building and gardens.
This course not only offers the opportunity for the Athlete to PR, but it also offers excellent opportunities for spectators to watch their athletes throughout the course and take in all of the sites, foods, and entertainment Sacramento has to offer.
Swim: RIVER
Bike: FLAT
Run: FLAT
High Air Temp: 81 °F / 27 °C
Low Air Temp: 52 °F / 11 °C
Avg Water Temp: 62 °F / 17 °C
Airport: SMF
LESS
First Timer Blown Away
Great event. Swim was cold and fast (get Booties), Bike ride rough road out and back course (lower tire psi) Cross country Run be ready for anything and the dark … MORE
Great event. Swim was cold and fast (get Booties), Bike ride rough road out and back course (lower tire psi) Cross country Run be ready for anything and the dark (gravel, dirt and pavement)
Awesome, Fast Course Great for 1st Timer
Ironman California was my first Ironman and overall it was a great race that I would highly recommend to any first timer. The course was designed to be fast and … MORE
Ironman California was my first Ironman and overall it was a great race that I would highly recommend to any first timer.
The course was designed to be fast and easy and it delivered. The downriver swim had an insane current and the water was pretty warm compared to the Pacific Ocean that I am used to training in. T1 and T2 were a bit long and people didn’t seem to like that, but I am pretty sure it was to balance out the crazy fast swim. Seriously, I was expecting to swim 1:40 and I came out of the water in under an hour. Having to run 3/4 of a mile in transition is worth the swim time savings. Doesn’t really matter because I guess they got so many complaints they announced transition will be shortened in following years.
The bike course was completely flat. I barely had more than 700 ft of elevation gain in the 112 miles. I also saw a lot of complaints about the strong winds and while the winds were indeed very strong.. talking sustained 15-20 mph, the bike course was still easy and very scenic through beautiful Sacramento wine country. Sure, the way back you’d be crawling at 10 mph, but on the way out you’d be flying at 25-30 mph easily. I just held steady power and was done with minimal trouble.
The run course was probably my least favorite part. The first part along the river and through old town was great, but the second third goes to and out and back through Discovery Park and that’s the part I didn’t really like. There was just minimal crowd support and it was the hardest part. I was also pretty quick so I got out of there before sunset, but I imagine it’s much worse after sunset. It’s scenic enough.. it is a park, but it’s just lonely.
The last part through the city was better and the end with the two loops of the capitol building was epic. I know I read a lot of complaints about people forgetting to do two loops and then getting DQ’d, but I don’t really understand how that happened. I was asked multiple times by volunteers to make sure I had ran the correct number of laps around the capitol before being allowed to run down that red carpet. I don’t know how people just “forgot” to run 3 miles. I believe the course changed this year to avoid that so it shouldn’t be an issue anymore.
In terms of overall production, I think it was pretty good.. it is an Ironman event after all, but as it was the first year, there were a few hiccups. The biggest one is the lack of buses to transport swimmers from transition to the swim start area. As a result a lot of us slower swimmers started almost an hour after the race began. Not a big deal since we are chip timed, but it got pretty annoying. I think the organized addressed this and said there’d be more next year.
Also, there seemed to not be enough volunteers at the finish line. I was fine and made sure I got all my swag.. medal, shirt, banner, backpack, etc. but I heard not everyone did. It was also not clear were the post event food was, but I did eventually find it. Perhaps better signage is needed. For that, I ding them 1 point on production, but other than that it was great.
Holy wind!!
while I can't blame Ironman for the wind that was over 20 mph, I can for the logistical nightmare it was. Transition was over a mile away from everything. From … MORE
while I can’t blame Ironman for the wind that was over 20 mph, I can for the logistical nightmare it was. Transition was over a mile away from everything. From swim out to T1 was insane! over a mile run barefoot up to the stadium, then repeat the run to get out of T2. They need to find a better place for bike rack and T1 and T2