Key takeaways, including traffic woes, from Tri-Cities 1st Ironman triathlon

The thousands of people who traveled to the Tri-Cities for Eastern Washington’s first ever Ironman 70.3 triathlon left full cash registers, a roadmap for future events and traffic complaints when the event wrapped on Sept. 22.

Visit Tri-Cities, the region’s tourism agency, estimates 7,500 visitors, including 2,500 triathletes, traveled to the region to swim, bicycle and run through Richland and West Richland.

Visit Tri-Cities, the host, spent nine months working out the details with the cities, Benton County and the Washington Department of Transportation. Organizers vowed to keep meeting to assess how it went and what can be done better when it returns in 12 months.

“The good vibes far outweigh the negative, which is not to discount some of the complaints,” said Kevin Lewis, president of Visit Tri-Cities, which has a contract to host the event in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Economic win

Ironman was an economic win for the region, with the visitors spending $7.5 million on lodging, food, gear and other purchases, according to a survey by Gonzaga University.

And they said they were happy with the weather, the course and the welcome they received.

Fans lined the entire course, cheering the athletes as they passed by. Participants report that’s rare. When Ironman opened some slots for the Sept. 21, 2025 , race, they filled almost immediately.

“They felt safe and loved out there,” he said.

Lewis said Ironman turned athletes into ambassadors, and area residents into civic cheerleaders.

More than a thousand volunteers helped with the event, including churches that rescheduled Sunday services so members could staff aid stations.

Inspiration but also detractors

Cheering on athletes pushing themselves was inspirational as well.

Lewis personally registered 29,000 steps pacing between Columbia Point and Howard Amon Park. But before the race started, a nervous, palpable energy settled over the riverfront, where athletes lined up and crowds streamed in.

He watched as kayakers slipped onto the river before dawn to take their posts along the swim course. It was dark and their safety lights cast a warm glow on the dark water.

“To me, that was the moment when it came together,” he recalled.

Ironman had its detractors.

Critics took to social media and email to complain about traffic jams, closed intersections and a sense of being imprisoned while cyclists completed a 56-mile circuit that took them from Columbia Point to the south, over Little Badger Mountain, Webber Canyon, West Richland, north Richland and back to the starting point.

Lewis said the event and affected routes were publicized to minimize surprises.

The public relations campaign included media interviews, roadside sights, social media outreach, letters to affected addresses and utility bill inserts.

Motorists could consult an interactive map to plan alternative routes.

“There was a massive effort,” he said.

Delays were real

Even so, residents reported backups and lengthy detours around the course.

“They delays were real,” said Carlo D’Alessandro, Richland’s Public Works director, who added that the Ironman team is committed to making 2025 less disruptive.

One example: Planners anticipated gaps between groups of bicyclists would allow traffic to pass through.

Police were authorized to let traffic through if it was safe. But the gaps didn’t materialize and traffic backed up, particularly at George Washington Way and Comstock Street, near Columbia Point in south Richland.

D’Alessandro said the impact lasted from 6:42 a.m. to 8:34 a.m. Some drivers turned around, but others waited. It took five minutes for the backed up vehicles to dissipate.

“There’s always ways to get better,” he said.

Chris Waite, Richland’s Parks and Public Facilities Director, stressed that Visit Tri-Cities hosted the event and the city served as a partner.

That said, planners were confident they did everything they could ahead of time. There was no road map going in as the community welcomed the triathlon for the first time.

“Despite it being a first year event, it didn’t feel like a first year event,” was a common sentiment, he said.

There were pain points and the lessons learned in 2024 could lead to changes when 2025 rolls around.

“Events are never static.”

Not all complaints were legitimate. Richland officials said emergency services were uninterrupted, and Lewis confirmed that plans were in place to pause the race if necessary.

“There were no emergency services hindered or delayed,” said Commander Chris Mason of the Richland Police Department. “This was our first experience. We will take a look at lessons learned and will mitigate for the complaints.”

General registration for the 2025 Tri-Cities Ironman opens Oct. 21.

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