An exclusive front-row seat to the Ironman athletes swimming in American, Sacramento rivers
Ironman California athletes swam 2.4 miles in the American and Sacramento rivers as part of challenging competition.
THROUGH THE ATHLETES MINDS RIGHT NOW? OH MY GOSH. MANY OF THESE ATHLETES, LETICIA. AND BY THE WAY GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BRING YOU LIVE COVERAGE. THIS EXCLUSIVE LOOK OF FRONT ROW SEAT TO IRONMAN CALIFORNIA 2025. BUT YES, YOU SAID WHAT ARE THE ATHLETES THINKING RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, IT’S BEEN MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF TRAINING TO GET TO THIS POINT. AND HERE THEY FINALLY ARE AFTER TRAINING FOR MONTHS, THEY’RE FINALLY PUTTING ALL OF THAT ANXIETY, STRESS, YOU KNOW, MISSED SOCIAL GATHERINGS WITH FAMILIES JUST TO DO THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT TODAY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ATHLETES ARE ALREADY IN THE WATER. YOU KNOW, THEY SOMETIMES START THE RACE A LITTLE LATE BECAUSE IT’S DARK DOWN HERE ON THE AMERICAN RIVER WITH THE TREE COVER. BUT THE THERE IS NOTHING. WE SAW STARS WHEN WE GOT OUT OF THE WATER. NOW WE’VE GOT CLEAR SKIES. SO THEY STARTED A LITTLE BIT EARLY, WHICH IS FINE FOR THE ATHLETES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY ARE SO EXCITED TO GET THE RACE STARTED. AND YOU CAN SEE UP ON THE BANK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER HERE, THEY HAVE THEM LINED UP. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE FOUR ATHLETES GOING INTO THE WATER EVERY 2 TO 3 SECONDS. AND THAT’S JUST AN EQUALLY SPACE. EVERYONE OUT. SO IT’S NOT TOO CROWDED IN THE RIVER, BUT THEY START HERE IN THE AMERICAN RIVER AND THEY SWIM ABOUT 1.2 MILES TO DISCOVERY PARK, AND THEN THE OTHER 1.2 MILES RIGHT BEFORE THE TOWER BRIDGE, BEFORE THEY GET ON THEIR BIKES. BUT WOW, WE HAVE ABOUT 3400 ATHLETES FROM 53 COUNTRIES, 47 STATES ARE REPRESENTED HERE. WE HAVE THE YOUNGEST ATHLETE WHO’S 18 YEARS OLD AND AN 81 YEAR OLD MAN FROM PARK CITY, UTAH, WHO IS HERE TO DO THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT OF 140.6 MILES THROUGH HERE THROUGH SACRAMENTO AND WEST SACRAMENTO TODAY. SO IT IS JUST AN EXCITING DAY. AND AS KELLY SAID, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE WONDERFUL WEATHER TODAY. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE FIRST YEAR WE HAD IT CANCELED WITH THE BOMB CYCLONE, THE SECOND YEAR WAS 37 MILE PER HOUR SUSTAINED WINDS ALL DAY. THE THIRD YEAR WAS RAIN, AND THEN LAST YEAR WAS A LITTLE BIT WINDY. AND NOW THIS IS THE WEATHER THAT, YOU KNOW, CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU IS TELLING EVERYONE VISIT SACRAMENTO SAYS THIS IS WHY SACRAMENTO IS A PERFECT PLACE TO HOLD THE IRONMAN RACE WITH THE WEATHER THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TODAY. BUT THERE THEY ARE. WE’VE GOT THE PINK CAPS ARE THE WOMEN, THE GREEN CAPS ARE THE MEN. AND WOW, THERE THEY GO. THEY’RE IN THEIR WETSUITS. THE WATER TEMPERATURES, I’M TOLD, IS ABOUT 63 DEGREES. SO WE HAVE SOME ATHLETES HERE WHO WEAR — ON THEIR FEET TO KEEP THEIR FEET WARM. THEY HAVE HEAD WRAPS TO KEEP THEIR HEAD WARM AS THEY’RE IN THE WATER. AND THEN THEY THEY GET TO THAT SACRAMENTO RIVER, THE CONFLUENCE THERE BY DISCOVERY PARK. AND THAT’S WHEN A CURRENT REALLY PICKS UP. AND THEY, THEY, THEY LOVE THAT. THAT’S WHAT ATHLETES TELL ME. THE SWIMMERS TELL ME WHY THEY WANT TO DO THIS RACE HERE. BECAUSE OF THE SWIM. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS. A LOT OF PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO SWIM TO BECOME A TRIATHLETE. AND SO THEY’RE ANXIOUS ABOUT THE SWIM. SO THEY HAVE THAT CURRENT TO TAKE THEM DOWN AND MAKE A FASTER SWIM, AND THEN THEY CAN GET ON THEIR BIKES AND THEN RUN TO THE FINISH LINE AT THE CAPITOL, REPORTING LIVE ON THE AMERICAN RIVER. MICHELLE BANDUR KCRA THREE NEWS. VERY EXCITING TO SEE THIS FIRSTHAND. LOOK, MICHELLE, YOU JUST DID THIS LAST YEAR AND I KNOW YOU’VE DONE THIS PREVIOUSLY. WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING THROUGH THIS RACE? I’M SURE IT’S A MENTAL GAME. WHAT DO YOU HAVE 17 HOURS TO COMPLETE THE COURSE. YEAH. FROM THE TIME YOU GET IN THE WATER, YOU HAVE 17 HOURS TO FINISH. AND SO THEY’RE THERE. THEY’RE GOING TO BE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL ABSOLUTELY USE THOSE 17 HOURS. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU JUST IT’S REALLY IS TURNS INTO MIND OVER MATTER. IT’S WHERE YOU THINK I’M MENTALLY STRONGER LIKE YOUR YOUR BODY IS ALWAYS STRONGER, EVEN THOUGH YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU, MY LEGS ARE TIRED. I WANT TO GIVE UP. YOUR MIND WILL GET YOU THROUGH THIS AS WELL. AS YOU KNOW. SACRAMENTO IS SO GREAT ABOUT BRINGING OUT VOLUNTEERS AND THE CROWDS AND THEY KEEP YOU GOING. AND THEN YOU SEE YOUR FRIENDS AND OTHER ATHLETES ON THE COURSE. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED ATHLETES WHO GOT IN THE WATER FIRST, WHO ARE HERE COMPETING IN THIS, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THOSE VOLUNTEERS. THERE ARE MORE THAN 20 BOATS HERE. WE HAVE RYAN AND MICHELLE WHO ARE LENDING US THEIR BOAT TODAY. RYAN IS A FORMER TRIATHLETE, IRONMAN HIMSELF, DOING LAKE TAHOE. AND YOU KNOW, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS TO BE DONE HERE AND HOW TO HELP THE ATHLETES GET THROUGH THIS, THAT WE’VE GOT. I’M TOLD ABOUT 90 PEOPLE ON KAYAKS AND STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS HERE. SO IT’S THE COMMUNITY, HONESTLY, THAT HELPS THESE ATHLETES GET THROUGH THOSE LONG MILES. AND WHEN THINGS GET DARK, THOSE VOLUNTEERS AND THE SPECTATORS AND FAMILIES AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL OUT THERE CHEERING YOU ON. LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS HERE, SOME OF MY WONDERFUL COLLEAGUES WERE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, TO CHEER ME ON. IT WAS JUST GREAT TO SEE A FRIENDLY FACE AND A SMILE GOES A LONG WAY. SO YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU HAVE TIME. IF YOU WANT TO THINK, I WANT TO SEE WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. AND WATCH THESE ATHLETES GET ON DOWN TO OLD SACRAMENTO, WEST SACRAMENTO, THE CAPITAL AREA. THE ATHLETES CAN USE YOU TODAY, EVEN THOUGH WE’VE GOT THAT NICE WEATHER, IT’S STILL A LONG, LONG DAY ON YOUR FEET. WHAT A PROUD MOMENT FOR SACRAMENTO TO SEE SO MANY ATHLETES TAKE ON THIS WONDERFUL IRONMAN CHALLENGE. MICHELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. SUPER EXCITED TO SEE YOU OUT
An exclusive front-row seat to the Ironman athletes swimming in American, Sacramento rivers
Ironman California athletes swam 2.4 miles in the American and Sacramento rivers as part of challenging competition.
Updated: 2:57 PM PDT Oct 20, 2025
During this year’s Ironman California triathlon in Sacramento, KCRA 3 got a firsthand look at how the race starts.We captured the moment when the first swimmers jumped in the American River on Sunday at 7 a.m. after the traditional cannon blast was fired.It signaled the fourth time the Ironman race was held in Sacramento. Triathletes swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 to the finish line at the state Capitol. Nearly 2,400 swimmers wore wetsuits, some in neoprene booties and head wraps under their swim caps to help stay warm in the 63-degree water.Athletes from 53 countries and 47 states said they had been waiting for the moment after training for six to 12 months.When they reached the Interstate 5 and Jibboom Street bridges, they hit the halfway point of the swim: the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers. Many swimmers like the Ironman California race because of the current-assisted down river swim.The triathletes swam alongside other locals out in the water Sunday morning: sea lions.The 2.4-mile swim ended at the dock before the Tower Bridge leading to West Sacramento and the transition area. Ironman said the fastest swim time was 39 minutes. Many volunteers also stood by to help the athletes remove their wetsuits before heading onto the second leg of the race — a 112-mile bike ride through the Delta. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
During this year’s Ironman California triathlon in Sacramento, KCRA 3 got a firsthand look at how the race starts.
We captured the moment when the first swimmers jumped in the American River on Sunday at 7 a.m. after the traditional cannon blast was fired.
It signaled the fourth time the Ironman race was held in Sacramento. Triathletes swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 to the finish line at the state Capitol.
Nearly 2,400 swimmers wore wetsuits, some in neoprene booties and head wraps under their swim caps to help stay warm in the 63-degree water.
Athletes from 53 countries and 47 states said they had been waiting for the moment after training for six to 12 months.
When they reached the Interstate 5 and Jibboom Street bridges, they hit the halfway point of the swim: the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers. Many swimmers like the Ironman California race because of the current-assisted down river swim.
The triathletes swam alongside other locals out in the water Sunday morning: sea lions.
The 2.4-mile swim ended at the dock before the Tower Bridge leading to West Sacramento and the transition area.
Ironman said the fastest swim time was 39 minutes.
Many volunteers also stood by to help the athletes remove their wetsuits before heading onto the second leg of the race — a 112-mile bike ride through the Delta.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel