IRONMAN 70.3 St. George seeks volunteers
By David Cordero
With IRONMAN 70.3 St. George slated for May 5, volunteer director Colby Neilson has opened opportunities for hundreds of individuals and volunteer teams to help with one of the largest and most exciting events of the year. Neilson said the volunteer-to-triathlete ratio is typically 1:1, and thus far approximately 500 volunteers have committed for the 2018 event, providing an opportunity for 1,500 more to join the effort that lead to the race receiving such prestigious awards.
“This is such a huge event, which spans across the county starting in Hurricane, to Washington, to Ivins, Winchester Hills, back to St. George,” said Neilson. “It takes many hands to support this effort. Volunteers have remarked how exciting it is to be involved and part of the IRONMAN experience — especially being a part of the experience with the athletes.”
It takes hundreds of hours of training, careful attention to diet, and a dedication well beyond the average person for triathletes to compete in an IRONMAN race. Likewise, the IRONMAN 70.3 St. George doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes a small army of volunteers to provide race support for the more than 2,100 participants, displaying the best in volunteerism.
Volunteers handle a variety of tasks during race week and race day, which vary in length of time commitment. The variety of options available include the following:
—Packet stuffing (May 2).
—Athlete registration (May 2–3).
—Gear bag check in (May 4).
—IronKids Fun Run (May 4).
—Aquatic and medical support (May 5).
—Bike course pointers (May 5).
—Aid stations (May 5).
The community has hosted an IRONMAN event every year since 2010. Post-race surveys have noted that volunteers for the St. George race are among the friendliest the athletes have encountered in IRONMAN races.
“The event is only as awesome as the volunteers,” Neilson added. “The volunteers make up the experience for the athletes. We have wonderful people in our community and hope to continue to have the best race on the circuit.”
Southern Utah’s volunteers are the best in the world! IRONMAN 70.3 St. George received two major awards from IRONMAN called the Athlete’s Choice Awards. The first is for being the “Best Race Venue Experience” and second for the “Best Host City Experience” of all IRONMAN 70.3 races across the globe. These awards came largely due to the hundreds of volunteers that make an athlete’s experience so great.
To volunteer, go to ironmanstgeorge.com and click on the “Volunteer” tab. Listed are all the different volunteering options along with how many spots are available. The deadline to volunteer is April 30.
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