The World Triathlon Corporation is in final discussions to seal an agreement to stage an Ironman race in Manhattan, according to published reports.
In fact, the first full Ironman race to be held in New York City is very close to a done deal.
According to Bloomberg News, "Contract talks to bring an event to New York are in “the final stages,” Ironman spokeswoman Jessica Weidensall said, and an accord may be signed very soon.
“Nothing is finalized," Weidensall said in a telephone interview. “We do not have a signed contract.”
“There are a lot of entities and moving parts and permits that need to be completed,” Meckfessel said said Steve Meckfessel, chief operating officer of World Triathlon, which owns and operates Ironman events. “This is permitting on steroids when it comes to New York.”
The swim would take place in the Hudson river, while the run would be a two loop course through the city of New York.
No word yet on where competitors would bike in one of the busiest cities in the world.
WTC is working with Korff Enterprises, which currently puts on the Olympic-distance Nautica NYC Triathlon in NYC.
The earliest the New York IM would take place would be 2012 according to John Korff, who operates Korff Enterprises, but he added that 2013 is more likely.
An Ironman race in New York City could be a good fit for both Wall Street and for Providence Equity Partners Inc., the Providence, Rhode Island-based buyout firm that purchased the World Triathlon in 2008.
“Our athletes come from a very high demographic profile, with high incomes and a high status within their professional pursuits,” Meckfessel said.
The NYC Ironman would be the second full distance Ironman race in the state of New York as the long established Ironman Lake Placid is scheduled to take place this year on July 24th.
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