Ironman Happy Valley 2024 Generated $3.2M in Economic Impact. What’s Next?

By Colin Ward (Centre County Gazette) October 1, 2024 - Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley is set to return in the summer of 2025 after another successful race in June. 

The event will kick off Sunday, June 15, the same day as Father’s Day. This is a slight change from the year prior when it was held Sunday, June 30. 

Despite the date change, the “half-Ironman” course will look similar to this year, starting with a 1.2-mile swim through Foster Joseph Sayers Lake in Bald Eagle State Park. The swim will then be followed by a 56-mile bike ride starting from the park and ending next to Beaver Stadium. From there, athletes will complete a 13.1-mile run through Penn State’s campus, ending on the 50-yard line of Beaver Stadium. 

Roads throughout the county are expected to be closed to the public for parts of the day. 

The race is the third time Ironman has appeared in Happy Valley and marks the end of a three-year contract. With both the 2023 and 2024 races being a success, though, a new contract could be put into place following the race.

“Everybody’s working toward it, toward the renewal, but we do want to get some feedback from the local community because it’s not just us,” executive director of the Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance Eric Engelbarts said. “It’s everybody, you know, it’s 1,000 volunteers coming in. It’s the law enforcement agencies. Obviously, Penn State’s got to be willing to host the finish line and the transition areas on campus.”