Visit Panama City Beach Announced as the new Title Sponsor of IRONMAN FL & IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast beginning in 2020
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Group company, is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with Visit Panama City Beach serving as title sponsor for the IRONMAN® Florida triathlon and IRONMAN 70.3® Gulf Coast triathlon beginning in 2020. The long-standing IRONMAN Florida triathlon is held annually in early November in Panama City Beach with this year’s edition taking place this weekend, Saturday, November 2. The 2020 Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast triathlon returns on Saturday, May 9, 2020.
“We are excited to announce this new partnership with Visit Panama City Beach,” says Scott Langen, Regional Director, Gulf Coast for IRONMAN. “As one of the longest running host venues in the IRONMAN circuit, Panama City Beach continues to provide our athletes with a world-class experience before, during and after race day. We are amazed by the incredible support that we receive year-after-year in the region and look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with their team for many years to come.”
Panama City Beach is located on the Gulf of Mexico in northwest Florida and boasts over 27 miles of sugar-white beaches, emerald green waters and 320 days of sunshine annually. Favored by travelers seeking a year-round beach getaway, the destination serves as a mecca for sporting events and outdoor adventure, offering championship golf courses, premier scuba-diving and water sports, world-renowned fishing, and biking and hiking in St. Andrews State Park. Panama City Beach also debuted its brand new $37 million, 13-field Sports Complex in October 2019.
“We have been honored to welcome athletes from all over the world who have raced in IRONMAN events hosted in our beautiful destination, and we are thrilled to now be the new title sponsor for both the 2020 Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast triathlon and 2020 Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida triathlon,” says Visit Panama City Beach President and CEO Dan Rowe. “With perfect beach weather and beautiful coastal scenery, we have undoubtedly become the premier sports destination of the South, and we hope to give both new and returning athletes an exciting and memorable experience racing on the Gulf Coast.”
One of the longest running IRONMAN events in North America, IRONMAN Florida is known as a flat and fast course where athletes come to beat their personal best with beautiful beach surroundings. In the spring, IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast serves as a popular early season race ideal for first timers and seasoned triathletes.
This year, the IRONMAN Foundation has established multiple initiatives to continue Hurricane Michael relief efforts, which devastated Panama City Beach and the surrounding Bay County in October 2018. Helping the destination’s recovery, the IRONMAN Foundation will distribute $125,000 in charitable giveback to nonprofit initiatives and groups in the Panama City region, bringing the total awarded to over $1 million in conjunction with IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast and IRONMAN Florida.
For more information on Panama City Beach, visit www.visitpanamacitybeach.com.
Additional information on the 2019 IRONMAN Florida triathlon can be found at www.ironman.com/floridawith additional information on the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast found at www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/gulf-coast.
For more information on IRONMAN and the IRONMAN Foundation, please visit www.ironman.com and www.ironmanfoundation.org. For media related inquiries, please contact press@ironman.com.
About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of Visit Panama City Beach at www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@VisitPanamaCityBeach).
About the IRONMAN Foundation
The IRONMAN Foundation creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through IRONMAN charitable giveback programs including the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 8,300 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series athletes are powerfully linked to the community and together we leave the IRONMAN legacy behind in our race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town™, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.
About The IRONMAN Group
As part of Wanda Sports Group, The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, IRONKIDS®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf® presented by Westpac, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with more than 235 events across 55+ countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Group
Wanda Sports Group (Nasdaq: WSG) is a leading global sports events, media and marketing platform with a mission to unite people in sports and enable athletes and fans to live their passions and dreams. Through our businesses, including Infront and The IRONMAN Group, we have significant intellectual property rights, long-term relationships and broad execution capabilities, enabling us to deliver unrivalled sports event experiences, creating access to engaging content and building inclusive communities. We offer a comprehensive array of events, marketing and media services through three primary segments: Mass Participation, Spectator Sports and Digital, Production, Sports Solutions (DPSS). Our full-service platform creates value for our partners and clients as well as other stakeholders in the sports ecosystem, from rights owners, to brands and advertisers, and to fans and athletes. Headquartered in Beijing, China, Wanda Sports Group has more than 60 offices and 1,600 employees around the world.