TAMPA, Fla. (January 4, 2018) – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings company, announced today the addition of IRONMAN® 70.3® Indian Wells-La Quinta triathlon in Southern California. The inaugural event is set to take place on Sunday, December 9, 2018 with general registration opening January 18, 2018. This new event will be co-hosted by the cities of Indian Wells and La Quinta.

“We are excited to expand our offering of events in California,” said Beth Atnip, Head of Operations, North America. “Partnering with Indian Wells and La Quinta allows us to showcase this amazing landscape while also expanding the North American triathlon season later in the year for our athletes.”

The IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta triathlon will begin with a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Cahuilla. The 56-mile single-loop bike course route will then take athletes on rural roads past palm tree farms before returning through the city of La Quinta and into Indian Wells. The flat course provides gorgeous views of the Santa Rosa mountains but is below sea level. Athletes transition from the bike to the run adjacent to the iconic Indian Wells Tennis Gardens stadium. The two-loop run course traverses from the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens over to the Indian Wells Golf Resort. The course design also allows for fantastic spectator viewing along the course.

“We look forward to welcoming triathletes from around the world to our community.” said Kimberly Muzik, Mayor of Indian Wells. “December represents the ideal time to visit the Coachella Valley as the cooler temperatures allow for enjoying the great outdoor landscape.”

“La Quinta is an active lifestyle city that attracts world class athletes in many sports.” said Linda Evans, Mayor of La Quinta. “We are thrilled to host triathletes of the IRONMAN 70.3 and share the energy of La Quinta with them.”

The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta event will offer 30 slots to the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place on September 8 and 9 in Nice, France as well as a professional prize purse of USD $25,000.

General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta will open on January 18, 2018 at www.ironman.com/indianwellslaquinta70.3<https://ironman.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=36ebad974c5875d65fba57d76&id=1dd9d83d61&e=2f430dba16>. Athlete inquiries may be directed to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>.

For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com<https://ironman.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=36ebad974c5875d65fba57d76&id=711217b382&e=2f430dba16>.