In 1871, Tempe founder Charles Trumbull Hayden brought business (a flour mill) and infrastructure (a ferry and railroad) to the area, but constant flooding wreaked havoc on the region’s progression. Once upon a time, a river called the Rio Salado (or Salt River) flowed freely through the Tempe area, bringing farmers and immigrants to settle the region. *** NCAA triathletes run on the pedestrian bridge on the west end of Tempe Town Lake. How did this urban desert city become such a triathlon oasis? The answer has to do with a potent combo of passion, forward-thinking civic leaders, and a physical transformation more than 40 years in the making. Not to mention, it’s now home to the nation’s most dominant women’s NCAA Division I collegiate tri team.
Yet over the past few years, this town has emerged as a heavy-hi ing triathlon mecca, hosting some of the sport’s most notable events, from sellout races like Ironman Arizona to conferences like Triathlon Business International and the new Outspoken: Women in Triathlon Summit (of which Triathlete is the title sponsor). In the early to mid-aughts, the city was more likely to make headlines for being home to the nation’s biggest “party school,” Arizona State University, than it was for hosting any endurance events. For a third of the year, the average temperature hovers around 100 degrees or more, and shade is scarce-it’s the desert, after all. Tempe, Arizona, is a vertically rising suburb, 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix, located directly under the flight path of the state’s largest airport. The reality is that triathlon’s latest go-to spot has none of those things. Odds are you pictured something tropical, with pristine crystal waters for the swim, scenic rolling hills for the bike, and a picturesque tree-lined trail for the run. How this urban town best known for triple-digit temperatures and a massive university became a modern multisport mecca.Ĭlose your eyes and imagine your ideal location for a destination triathlon.
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