La Quinta prepares for Ironman 70.3 race changes after Indian Wells hosting split

Over $6 million are spent and 3,000 athletes flock to eastern Coachella Valley for the annual Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells - La Quinta Triathlon.

But after this weekend's race, the city of Indian Wells will split from hosting duties, following a 5-year partnership with the neighboring city.

Earlier this week, La Quinta's city council approved the race for 2025 as the event's sole host.

A representative from the Indian Wells was not available for an interview but provided a statement on the separation.

"The City of Indian Wells is very proud of the collaboration between the cities of Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Visit Greater Palm Springs that brought the Ironman 70.3 to the Coachella Valley. This year’s event concludes Indian Wells’ multi-year sponsorship commitment of the Ironman event. At this time, the City of Indian Wells is evaluating various sponsorships, including Ironman, to determine the level of community and economic benefit that these sponsorships have for our residents and our local businesses," said city manager, Chris Freeland.

Despite the split, La Quinta says this new change will provide new opportunities for community engagement and alternate the race's run course to SilverRock Park in La Quinta. The 13.1 mile run course was previously held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Michael Calderon with the city of La Quinta said they hope next year's race changes include greater community engagement and activities at SilverRock.

"We plan to have more of an experience at Silver Rock Park. We do plan to bring some entertainment potentially to Silver Oak Park and we've discussed bringing more food and just making the overall experience there welcoming and family friendly," Calderon said.

La Quinta will host the triathlon for 2025 and is awaiting an economic report from the World Triathlon Corporation before approving future race plans for 2026 and 2027.

For more information on this weekend's Ironman 70.3 festivities, visit: https://www.ironman.com/im703-indian-wells