Members of The Woodlands' convention and visitors bureau Visit The Woodlands on Aug. 14 extended an agreement to host the Ironman Texas triathlon another five years, through 2030, according to discussion at the meeting.

The action taken

The Woodlands first entered into a five-year agreement with the World Triathlon Corporation to host the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas triathlon in 2010. The agreement was set to expire in 2025, and the next Ironman event in The Woodlands is scheduled for April 26, according to information from the Aug. 14 Visit The Woodlands board of directors meeting.

Officials announced in late 2023 the agreement would extend beyond 2025, but the exact number of years was not established at that time.

The triathlon consists of the following events within a 17-hour timeframe:

• A 2.4-mile swim
• A 112-mile bike
• A 26.2-mile run

"They’d like to continue this for another five years, and Visit The Woodlands would engage in partnership with them through 2030," Visit The Woodlands President Nick Wolda said at the meeting.

The context

According to information from the Visit The Woodlands meeting, Ironman has a number of tourism benefits for the township.

• The event provides a number of volunteer opportunities, and Ironman has provided over $100,000 annually to local charities in The Woodlands.
• The event is a qualifying race for a world championship that takes place in October in Hawaii.
• The event attracts about 2,800 participants from around the country and the world.
• A live webcast of the event can be seen globally, creating 1.5 million advertising impressions, according to Ironman.
• The event is a spur to local economic activity in the form of hotel room nights, shopping and restaurant patronage.