Look out, Woodlands: Galveston bids for Ironman competition

Patrick Lange, of Germany, crosses the finish line to win the Memorial Hermann Ironman North American Championship Texas triathon on Saturday, May 14, 2016, in The Woodlands. Patrick Lange, of Germany, crosses the finish line to win the Memorial Hermann Ironman North American Championship Texas triathon on Saturday, May 14, 2016, in The Woodlands. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 90 Caption Close Look out, Woodlands: Galveston bids for Ironman competition 1 / 90 Back to Gallery

GALVESTON – Galveston is hoping that organizers of the Ironman North American Championship Texas will abandon The Woodlands and bring the popular competition south to the island.

The Galveston Park Board this week voted 6-1, with one abstention, to bid for the triathlon, which has brought about $15 million each year to Woodlands-area businesses.

Organizers stopped short of committing to return to The Woodlands in 2017 after Montgomery County Commissioner Charles Riley barred the race course from crossing through his precinct because of safety concerns related to road construction. Polluted water for the swimming part of the course, as well as bad weather, caused more problems this year.

Riley's ban forced organizers to make an 11th-hour adjustment to the course and nearly caused it to be canceled. Before Riley forced a change, the course made a scenic loop that was popular with competitors through the Sam Houston National Forest, rolling farmland and far-flung subdivisions north and west of The Woodlands.

Riley did not respond to a request for comment, but Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal said an agreement with Harris County to use the Hardy Toll Road for the 112-mile bicycle portion of the race could strengthen The Woodlands' bid.

"We worked hard to find another route, which is a challenge in a rapidly growing area," said Doyal, who was suspended by a state panel last month following his indictment for alleged open-meeting law violations. He denies the charges. "The triathlon also has a 2.4-mile swim and a 26.2-mile run."

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said that commissioners allowed use of the Hardy Toll Road after the organizer agreed to pay for lost toll revenue and for traffic control. Emmett said Harris County would not take sides with either The Woodlands or Galveston.

The World Triathlon Corp., which organizes the Ironman North American Championship Texas, did not respond to a request for comment.

Gordy Bunch, chairman of The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau, issued a statement emphasizing the bureau's good working relationship with the organizers but he did not respond to questions about Galveston's bid. Bunch said The Woodlands has hosted the event since 2011 and just extended its contract to 2020.

Bunch did not explain how Galveston could be bidding on a contract to host the event next year if The Woodlands' contract has been extended to 2020.

Galveston's park board made its bid after being approached by Ironman organizers, said Kelly de Schaun, the park board's executive director. The organizers twice extended the bidding deadline so that they could get a bid from Galveston, de Schaun said.

De Schaun said organizers were interested in Galveston because it has successfully hosted a "quarter ironman" and a "half ironman," and because Galveston is a destination city with many attractions.

Doyal countered that The Woodlands was also a destination. "We've got the lake, we've got multiple destinations within The Woodlands itself," Doyal said. "Tourism is a big part of the revenue generated in The Woodlands."

The Galveston offer includes a $75,000 cash bid fee and $100,000 to be used to pay for city services, such as traffic control and lifeguards for an expected surge in beach activity.

The race, proposed for April 30 next year, is expected to draw 2,500 to 3,000 athletes, result in 10,000 hotel-room bookings and $8 million in direct expenditures, according to the park board staff.

The event is sought after because, unlike with two shorter "ironman" races hosted on the island, athletes arrive days ahead of the race to become acclimated with the course. The event also draws thousands of family members and spectators, translating into longer hotel stays and more spending.

"We feel like it could make us a world-class destination for endurance sports going forward," Bryan Kunz, the park board's special events manager, told the board before the vote.

The lone "nay" vote came from board member Thayer Evans, who complained that the race would inconvenience island residents. "I refuse to let the needs of 10,000 tourists take precedence over the needs of 50,000 residents," Evans said.

Several Galveston residents expressed concern to the board about traffic problems caused by road closings to accommodate the race, but none of them openly opposed the bid.

De Schaun said she expected The Woodlands to fight to keep the Ironman race. Even if Galveston wins the bid, a route must be approved that meets the organizers' criteria.

The park board is proposing a race course stretching from Moody Gardens on the island to Surfside Beach in Brazoria County.

"If we are successful in this bid, the next piece is to certify the route, " de Schaun said. "If we can't, then we don't have a deal."

She said the vote Tuesday was only the beginning of the process. "This is not the deal maker," de Schaun said. "This is saying we want to be at the table to make a deal."