FIRST IRONMAN. IT’S RACE WEEK AND MORE THAN 3000 IRONMAN ATHLETES FROM 47 STATES AND 53 COUNTRIES AGES 18 TO 80 ARE NOW ARRIVING IN THE CAPITAL CITY, READY TO TAKE ON IRONMAN CALIFORNIA. AT IRONMAN VILLAGE, ATHLETES CHECKING IN, GETTING BRACELETS, BIB NUMBERS AND BAGS. EVERY YEAR WE SOMEHOW GET SOME FORM OF PRECIPITATION AND THIS YEAR IT CAME EARLY. SO WE’RE DRY NOW AND THE WEEKEND IS LOOKING GREAT. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS ON TAP FOR THE 3000 PLUS ATHLETES READY TO TACKLE A 2.4 MILE SWIM, 112 MILES ON THE BIKE AND THEN A MARATHON 26.2 MILES, ALL IN ONE DAY. MY SISTER HAD A BABY YESTERDAY AND SO I’M DOING IT FOR MY NEW NIECE, FOR HER FIRST BABY OF THE FAMILY. SO I GET TO THINK OF HER AS I CROSS THE FINISH LINE. IF MY SISTER CAN GIVE BIRTH, I CAN DO AN IRONMAN TRAINING. BUDDIES MICHAEL LEE AND RAJ SINGH RACING TOGETHER FROM VANCOUVER, CANADA. THEY MET BY HAPPENSTANCE IN THE POOL. WE HAD BACK SURGERIES SO WE HAD TO LEARN TO SWIM. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THEN WE AND WE MET PEOPLE WHO WERE LEARNING TO SWIM, BUT THEY WERE TRAINING FOR IRONMAN. SO THEY SAID, COME WITH US. WE’RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, LET’S GO. IRONMAN SAYS THIS RACE IN SACRAMENTO IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ON THE CIRCUIT. THE COMMUNITY REALLY LIKE EVERYBODY HERE, HAS OPENED THEIR ARMS TO THE IRONMAN ATHLETES. IT’S A REALLY JUST AWESOME PLACE TO COME. THE SUPPORT FROM THE VOLUNTEERS IS FANTASTIC. THIS IS, AGAIN NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST IRONMAN. WE TOLD EACH OTHER WE WHATEVER HAPPENS, JUST KEEP ON GOING. ONE, ONE STEP, ONE STROKE AT A TIME, ONE PEDAL AT A TIME, ONE RUN AT IT, ONE STEP AT A TIME. JUST KEEP GOING. THE RACE BEGINS 7 A.M. SUNDAY MORNING IN THE AMERICAN RIVER, AND THEY HAVE 17 HOURS TO COMPLETE THE IRONMAN, ENDING AT THE FINISH LINE HERE AT THE CAPITOL. REPORTING IN IRONMAN VILLAGE, MICHELLE BANDUR KCRA THREE NEWS. AND MICHELLE IS BRINGING US EXCLUSIVE LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE SWIM IN THE AMERICAN AND SACRAMENTO RIVERS DURING OUR
Ironman California brings international athletes to Sacramento
Athletes from 47 states, 53 countries gathering in Sacramento for Ironman California, a challenging race featuring 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running.
Updated: 7:25 PM PDT Oct 16, 2025
Athletes from around the world are arriving in Sacramento for Ironman California, where they will compete in a 140.6-mile course of swimming, biking, and running this Sunday. Participants began checking in at Capitol Mall on Thursday, preparing for the event.Michael Lee and Raj Singh, both from Vancouver, Canada, are among the first-timers ready to tackle the challenge. “It looks like a good one for first timers, first for us,” they said. Lee, 64, and Singh, 55, met by chance in a pool and were inspired by fellow swimmers training for the Ironman.”We had back surgeries. We had to learn to swim just a few years ago,” Singh said. “Then we met people who were learning to swim, and training for Ironman, and they said, ‘Come with us.’ We’re like, ‘Alright, let’s go.'”RELATED | See Ironman California road closuresQuinn Dudley, a Sacramento resident, is also participating in her first Ironman. “This is my first. I wanted to do one before I hit 30, and I’ll be 30 next year,” she said. Dudley appreciates the convenience of racing locally.”Literally walk across the street and I’m in transition, so it’s nice to be home, know the good food, have good support and get to have my dog at the finish line,” she said.Lee is dedicating his race to his three sisters, who passed away after facing serious health challenges. “Cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain aneurysm. They’re young and it was a hard journey for them. So for this Ironman, it’s a hard journey. But it’s nothing compared to what they had. So the run is in memory for them,” he said.The Ironman event in Sacramento is one of the most popular on the circuit, with more than 3,000 athletes participating. Regional director Tim Brosius attributes that to the community of Sacramento.”Everybody here has opened their arms to the Ironman athletes. It’s really just an awesome place to come. The support from the volunteers is fantastic. This is North America’s largest Ironman,” Brosius said.Athletes will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles, with the race starting at 7 a.m. Sunday in the American River. They have 17 hours to complete the course, finishing at the state Capitol.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. —
Athletes from around the world are arriving in Sacramento for Ironman California, where they will compete in a 140.6-mile course of swimming, biking, and running this Sunday.
Participants began checking in at Capitol Mall on Thursday, preparing for the event.
Michael Lee and Raj Singh, both from Vancouver, Canada, are among the first-timers ready to tackle the challenge.
“It looks like a good one for first timers, first for us,” they said.
Lee, 64, and Singh, 55, met by chance in a pool and were inspired by fellow swimmers training for the Ironman.
“We had back surgeries. We had to learn to swim just a few years ago,” Singh said. “Then we met people who were learning to swim, and training for Ironman, and they said, ‘Come with us.’ We’re like, ‘Alright, let’s go.'”
RELATED | See Ironman California road closures
Quinn Dudley, a Sacramento resident, is also participating in her first Ironman.
“This is my first. I wanted to do one before I hit 30, and I’ll be 30 next year,” she said.
Dudley appreciates the convenience of racing locally.
“Literally walk across the street and I’m in transition, so it’s nice to be home, know the good food, have good support and get to have my dog at the finish line,” she said.
Lee is dedicating his race to his three sisters, who passed away after facing serious health challenges.
“Cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain aneurysm. They’re young and it was a hard journey for them. So for this Ironman, it’s a hard journey. But it’s nothing compared to what they had. So the run is in memory for them,” he said.
The Ironman event in Sacramento is one of the most popular on the circuit, with more than 3,000 athletes participating. Regional director Tim Brosius attributes that to the community of Sacramento.
“Everybody here has opened their arms to the Ironman athletes. It’s really just an awesome place to come. The support from the volunteers is fantastic. This is North America’s largest Ironman,” Brosius said.
Athletes will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles, with the race starting at 7 a.m. Sunday in the American River. They have 17 hours to complete the course, finishing at the state Capitol.
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