Ironman Triathlon in Morro Bay canceled after 187 swimmers were rescued from rough waters

The Ironman Triathlon abruptly terminated its contract with the city of Morro Bay a year early, canceling the race planned for next spring after hundreds of athletes had to be rescued from strong currents in the harbor.

“Based on athlete feedback and further evaluation of the limited swim course options that have presented a variability of challenging conditions, we did not feel it was in the best interest to continue producing this event,” Ironman wrote in a statement to The Tribune. “We understand the disappointment this may cause for participants who enjoyed this event and its beautiful location.”

The World Triathlon Corporation hosted the race in Morro Bay two years in a row. In 2023, the 70.3-mile triathlon race went off without a hitch. In 2024, however, strong tides created challenging swimming conditions in the bay — which meant more than 300 athletes had to be assisted out of the water.

On July 1, the company informed the city by letter that it would cancel the triathlon planned for next May.

“The World Triathlon Corporation’s decision to cancel the third year came as a surprise to us. We found out the information from a social media post. A day later, we received a letter,” Morro Bay City Manager Yvonne Kimball wrote in an email to The Tribune. “The termination letter suggested that WTC made a business decision to cancel the 2025 event, which is not a reflection of the city’s partnership with WTC.”

Ironman Triathlon canceled in Morro Bay

The city of Morro Bay and the organization Visit Morro Bay held a joint contract with World Triathlon Corp. to host Ironman in Morro Bay for three years — in 2023, 2024 and 2025, Kimball said.

To support the event, the city waived permit fees for use of the Morro Rock parking lot, Coleman Beach and the boardwalk, she said. This year, the city also spent about $40,000 on staff time for event preparation and safety. Meanwhile, data from Visit Morro Bay projected that the event would generate about $100,000 in tourism dollars for the community, she said.

“It has always been the city’s goal to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone involved. We have fulfilled our part of the event agreement the last two years,” Kimball said.

The city hadn’t yet funded any planning efforts for the 2025 race.

“One saving grace is that the termination decision came soon after the 2024 event and before city’s planning for the 2025 takes place. Therefore, no financial obligation has incurred for next year’s event yet,” she said.

Swimmers rescued from triathlon

Ironman moved the swim course into deeper waters this year “to address sea otter and shallow water issues,” Morro Bay Fire Chief Matthew Vierra said.

Strong tides were hard on the athletes and caused emergency responders to rescue 187 swimmers from the water, while 121 others had to be assisted out of the water, Vierra said.

“Ironman was considering moving the swimming course to the southern part of the bay in 2025, away from the current area,” Kimball said. “But the logistics of transporting athletes to and from check-in locations might have become a challenge.”