IRONMAN has announced the results of the 2023 Athlete Choice Awards, naming Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas as the Best Run Course in North America. These awards are based solely on athlete surveys from all of the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN® North America Series triathlons.
"It's a great honor for Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas to be named Best Run Course in North America," said Brad Bailey, Chairman of Visit The Woodlands. "Our community really enjoys coming out to support the competitors and cheer them on as they run along The Woodlands Waterway and through Hippie Hollow. We can't wait to welcome the North American Championship this April."
According to The IRONMAN Group, the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas is considered one of the most spirited run courses on the circuit. This is partially due to the lively "Hippie Hollow", a section of the course where participants run under tie-dye banners and twinkling lights, with costumed performers and spectators cheering them on.
Along with Hippie Hollow, participants can enjoy a scenic run around The Woodlands Waterway, shade under the trees along the route, and a lot of encouragement from spectators along the way. The finish line is also one of the best in the nation. Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas was voted 1st in Best Overall Finish Line and 1st in Best Overall Post-Race Experience in the 2022 Athlete Choice Awards.
The 2024 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas triathlon will lead athletes along a full-distance IRONMAN journey through The Woodlands with a spectacular finish line experience on Waterway Ave. The event will begin with a 2.4-mile point-to-point swim inside Lake Woodlands beginning at North Shore Park before embarking on a 112-mile two-loop bike that traverses portions of the Hardy Toll Road. The 26.2-mile marathon run allows athletes to soak in one of the most spirited spectator-lined courses on the IRONMAN circuit, and this early season full-distance IRONMAN event offers age group qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlons, with the women racing on Sept. 22, 2024, in Nice, France and the men racing on Oct. 26, 2024, in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.
