Great Falls may be host to the Ironman race for the next three summers.

The Great Falls Tourism Business Improvement District is proposing to host the annual event in and around Great Falls on Aug. 15, 2027, Aug. 13, 2028 and Aug. 12, 2029.

City Commissioners will consider a support services agreement with the TBID, with the TBID as host.

The TBID has a separate host venue agreement with World Triathlon Corporation, the Ironman organizers.

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The Convention and Visitors Bureau and TBID boards approved moving forward with a host venue agreement on Sept. 24, contingent on city commission support.

The TBID is scheduled to consider the support services agreement with the city during its 4 p.m. special board meeting on Oct. 6.

City Commissioners will consider that agreement during their 6 p.m. Oct. 6 meeting.

Approval of the city-TBID agreement doesn’t guarantee the event will move forward as many details are still being worked out, according to Rebecca Engum, director of Great Falls Montana Tourism and Central Montana Tourism.

The agreement “establishes a three-year framework for planning and reimbursing city support,” according to the city staff report, and does not approve a particular course, road closures, permits, use of city property or personnel.

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For each event year, the TBID must submit operational plans, identify funding and work with the appropriate city departments on an annual service plan, according to the staff report.

“Only services expressly approved in an executed plan will be committed,” according to the city staff report.

The TBID is the local lead entity for hosting Ironman events and is responsible for “planning, producing, staffing, financing, and conducting the events, including services outside an approved city plan and coordination with agencies or property owners outside city jurisdiction,” according to the city staff report.

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Engum told The Electric that Tourism is working with multiple public agencies and entities to help bring Ironman to town, including the Montana Department of Transportation, Cascade County, Teton County, City of Fairfield, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Montana Highway Patrol and Northwestern Energy, among others.

Engum said discussions have been happening for the last four months and they’re working on development agreements with each partner depending on their role.

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Great Falls Montana Tourism will pay the annual licensing fee to host an Ironman event and will also cover other associated costs so that local government agencies will not incur costs, Engum said.

Great Falls Montana Tourism has committed to investing $530,000 the first year, $539,330 the second year and $552,339 the third year, assuming the first year meets specific expectations including marketing, visitation and work burden, Engum told The Electric.

Engum said the hope is that the event brings a significant number of people to Great Falls, which would fill hotel rooms and those visitors would spend money in local restaurants and shops.

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Coeur d’Alene also hosts an Ironman event and Engum said Great Falls has more hotel rooms than the lake town.

St. George, Utah, a city of about 95,000 about an hour from Zion National Park, hosted its last Ironman event in 2025.

Engum said hosting Ironman had helped land the area on the PGA and LPGA tours.

Local officials estimated that the race averaged about 1,800 competitors, according to local reporting.

Under the proposed agreement between the city and TBID, city personnel would remain under city control and may be reassigned for emergencies or public needs.

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The agreement requires the TBID to obtain the World Triathlon Corporation’s limited joinder, which addresses the organization’s compliance, insurance, indemnification, and inability to commit city resources, but WTC does not become a general party to the agreement between the city and the TBID.

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The agreement requires the TBID to reimburse the city for actual costs attributable to each event at city-established rates that wouldn’t have otherwise been incurred.

Those costs include, according to the city staff report:

• applicable regular and overtime personnel costs
• vehicles and equipment
• supplies
• contracted services
• permit or facility charges
• event-caused damage
• directly attributable administrative costs (capped at 10 percent of direct costs)

The annual plan will itemize anticipated services, rates, a not-to-exceed amount, and any advance payment or security, which may not exceed 25 percent of the city’s estimated costs.

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Under the agreement, the city must obtain TBID approval before exceeding the approved budget, except for bona fide public-safety emergency costs.

Annual estimated costs aren’t yet available until the annual service plan is developed, according to the city.

City police, fire, public works, park and recreation and legal were involved in drafting and negotiating the proposed agreement and will review proposed city services during the annual planning process, according to the city.

During the city Park and Recreation Advisory Board’s July and August meetings, staff and the board discussed the potential Ironman events.

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Toby Hazelbaker, Park and Rec director, said in August that it wasn’t a sure thing until the city received a full proposal on cost estimates.

“We don’t quite understand what their costs are,” he said.

During the July meeting, Hazelbaker said that the Ironman group had come to look at Great Falls recently for a potential race.

“They were enamored with town,” he said.