There have been many changes to the Ironman triathlon in Morro Bay and issues some participants encountered this year. Organizers are now saying some of those issues have led them to cancel next year’s race, leaving some athletes disappointed.
“When I got that email, I was not surprised they canceled it,” said Ironman athlete Caelan Barranta.
Around 300 athletes who participated in the swim portion of the race back in May did not finish due to strong tidal currents forcing many of them to be pulled out of the water.
“It was disastrous watching people being taken out of the water and actually coming out of the water. Down the street there was a take-out point that they got out on their own,” said Mark Tognazzini, owner of Tognazzini’s Dockside.
WATCH: "This is not what I expected": Athletes describe Morro Bay Ironman swim course
All athletes who did not finish received free entry to a future Ironman race.
“Earlier, in May, it was like a big fiasco, and it was kind of unheard of that they would give you a free race entry after. It felt like it was a pretty big deal so when I got that email, I was not surprised,” Barranta said.
The City of Morro Bay previously entered into a three-year contract with Ironman, which was set to expire following the third race next year.
“Community and our city staff has learned to embrace the event and so for them to just cancel the event out of the blue, it was very surprising to us,” said Yvonne Kimball, Morro Bay city manager.
In a statement to KSBY, Ironman said: "While we worked to find solutions to improve the race experience for 2025, based on the swim course options for this event and recognizing the variability of challenging conditions, we do not feel it is in the best interest to continue this event."
According to the agreement, Visit Morro Bay, which is a separate entity from the City, paid World Triathlon Corporation $60,000 in total for 2023 and 2024. Visit Morro Bay would have paid $25,000 for next year prior to the cancellation.
“We’re still processing the cancellation because we just officially received notice today (Wednesday),” Kimball said.
Nineteen hundred people participated in this year’s Ironman race. Some business owners were surprised to hear Ironman isn’t coming back.
“I would’ve predicted that they would have run their third year by contract and then not come back to Morro Bay. That’s kind of what I was thinking was going to happen. I’m surprised. There is no doubt about it,” Tognazzini said.
“It’s disappointing to know that they are not going to have it here. It was our busiest day,” said Tony Carignan, Daisy’s Organic Coffee & Tea owner.
Barranta says she felt safe during the swim despite the conditions and is looking forward to more Ironman races elsewhere.
“I was hoping that I would redeem myself next year because I signed up for the one next year but now I’m going to have to choose a different race,” Barranta said.
