By Todd Fuqua tfuqua@elritomedia.com | Ruidoso News

RUIDOSO – Ruidoso, quickly becoming known as a prime destination for triathlon excellence, will be the site of an Ironman event, July 11-12, 2026. Community members gathered at Downshift Ruidoso on Wednesday to celebrate the announcement.

General registration for the Ruidoso event will open April 23, 2026. Volunteers are also needed to help coordinate and put on the event. Those interested in participating should visit the Ironman 70.3 Ruidoso page at www.ironman.com/races/im703-ruidoso-new-mexico. To volunteer, visit www.ironman.com/races/im703-ruidoso-new-mexico/volunteer.

Judy Stowers, regional director for Ironman, said she expects up to 2,500 athletes to come to Ruidoso, particularly in the week before, to train and prepare.

“Ruidoso is known for its horse racing and endurance type of events,” Stowers said. “When we toured the area in March, we determined that this community has the infrastructure and support from local officials needed to hold the event.”

“I’m from a small town, and every time I come here, it feels like I’m home,” she added. “This is an important milestone for Ironman and Ruidoso. Our mantra is ‘anything is possible,’ and we’re excited to bring this to the community in Lincoln County. We could not be more excited to be here.”

The Ironman announcement comes on the heels of Ruidoso’s selection as both a Gold Level XTERRA off-road triathlon event this August and next year’s XTERRA World Championships, making this area a premier destination for elite multisport events.

The difference between XTERRA and Ironman events is the terrain, with XTERRA being run on rugged off-road trails for cycling and running while IRONMAN follows a classic road triathlon format featuring a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile road cycling course and 13.1-mile run.

While Ironman races have been held since the first event in 1978 in Hawaii, this will be the first-ever Ironman competition of any kind held in New Mexico. It will also feature more than just one race – a 70.3 triathlon, a 5150 triathlon, and a sprint triathlon, all of which are part of the internationally renowned Ironman series of races.

The Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, refers to the distance of the course in miles while the 50150 triathlon series, introduced in 2011, gets its name from the race’s Olympic distance of 51 kilometers. The sprint triathlon is half the distance of the 5150.

Ruidoso’s event schedule is unique for an Ironman event, as all previous races have been one-day affairs. A two-day event featuring three races is a first. The 5150 and sprint triathlons are scheduled for July 11; the Ironman 70.3 will be run on July 12.

Each of these Ironman series consist of more than 100 qualifying races in 40-plus countries, with the top-ranked athletes from the events advancing to the Ironman 70.3 and 5150 World Championships, being held this year in Marbella, Spain, Nov. 8-9. The World Championships rotate locations yearly around the globe.

Men and women who compete at the Ruidoso event will qualify for the 2027 World Championships.

The course for the Ironman 70.3 is still being finalized. It will start with swimming at Grindstone Lake, with the bike leg running from there down Carrizozo Canyon to Sudderth. Contestants then will ride down Highway 70 toward Hondo before turning back for Ruidoso. Once there, they will disembark for the running leg, which will wind its way through village streets before finishing at Winfield Park.

Shane Asbury, who has put on numerous outdoor racing events in southern New Mexico through his company Wanderlust Running, was contracted by Ironman to be the race’s director. He said Ironman regularly employs local racing professionals at events around the world to better connect with the community.

“Everyone I’ve met so far working this event is local,” Asbury said. “They want local feet on the street as the face of the race. We have a year to really put on a show here and show off what Ruidoso can mean to the marathon and triathlon industry.”

Asbury has coordinated marathons in Las Cruces, Cloudcroft and Ruidoso. He’s also a finisher in Ironman 70.3 events in Austin and Lubbock, Texas.

“I grew up running, and I turned my passion into my business,” Asbury said. “I’ve been on both sides, knowing what it takes to prepare for and compete in an Ironman event, and now what it takes to put one of these on.”

Beyond raising Ruidoso’s already considerable profile in international endurance racing, the Ironman event will also have a $14 million economic impact on the area, said Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford.

“This prestigious event represents a perfect match for our beautiful mountain community and outdoor recreation culture,” Crawford said. “We look forward to welcoming athletes and spectators from around the world to experience our hospitality and the challenge of competing at our high elevation. This will provide significant benefits to our village for years to come.”