The Magic of Tucson
You already know about the weather in Tucson, Arizona, now officially known as the Winter Training Capital. With comfortable temperatures and abundant sunshine, it’s almost impossible to lose a training day – no matter what your sport. In fact, with an agreeable climate like ours, you may overlook the wonderful synergy of features that make Tucson an athlete’s mid-winter dream come true.
Nature gave Tucson the weather and topography of an outdoorsman’s paradise, but nurture built a Winter Training Capital for athletes of all ages and abilities. Local governments, sports clubs and a passionate network of businesses and organizations committed to optimizing this precious resource for the outdoors community have put Tucson at the top of every winter training best-of list around the world. Click on the links below to find out more.
On February 8, 2010, Mayor Bob Walkup proclaimed Tucson as the Winter Training Capital. Tucson has long been recognized as a mecca for winter training and now that recognition is official. With an endless supply of resources for both the recreational and professional athlete, the region has not only met the training needs of numerous Olympic medalists and World Champions, but also the training needs of countless weekend warriors combining their love of sport with the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
What makes Tucson the Winter Training Capital? Is it the almost 500 miles of dedicated bike lanes and Gold status as a cycling friendly community? Is it the mild climate and over 350 days of sunshine? Is it the extensive network of trails spread throughout the four surrounding mountain ranges? The answer is yes – and so much more.
This website will be a dynamic resource for visitors and residents alike who are active in supporting Tucson as the place to be during the winter training season. In the coming months, a dedicated team of local businesses and volunteers will direct the information available in this community-based venture.
While the winter training options are abundant, Tucson is also host to a long list of events that showcase the best of what we have to offer. For now, we will concentrate on the two events that will open and close the winter training season in Tucson.
El Tour de Tucson
As one of the premier organized rides in the United States, El Tour de Tucson will mark the official start to the winter training season. Held annually the weekend before Thanksgiving, this ride takes participants around the scenic areas of Tucson, with beautiful vistas of its local mountain ranges, complete with the backdrop of the mighty saguaro cacti, an icon of the Southwest’s Sonoran Desert.www.pbaa.com
TRIFEST
The official kick-off to the multisport season is held right here in Tucson at the world’s largest triathlon retail store. This event marks the end of the winter training season while celebrating a return to competition within the multisport world. With a consumer expo, conference and training camps, this event has much to offer athletes who swim, bike or run.www.trifest.com
As the size and scope of this undertaking moves forward, so will the information available this website. In the meantime, here is just a very small sampling of the information to be organized within this site.
Tucson Sports – a division of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Resource for any and all things sports-related within the Tucson area provided by the MTCVB.www.visittucson.org/sports
City of Tucson Aquatics
Resource for any and all things swim-related provided by the City of Tucson.www.ci.tucson.az.us/parksandrec/aquatics.php
City of Tucson Department of Transportation
Resource for any and all things bike-related provided by the City of Tucson.dot.ci.tucson.az.us/bicycle
Three major parties have come together to make this proclamation official. Special thanks to the following people and organizations:
Bob Walkup – Tucson Mayor and Cyclist
A leading figure in affirming Tucson as an athletic destination.cms3.tucsonaz.gov/mayor
Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Provided the resources to turn the dream into a reality.www.visittucson.org
TriSports.com
Brought the idea to the table as a local business with a track record of promoting community growth.
www.trisports.com
While we are recognizing the parties currently involved in this venture, we cannot look past the individuals responsible for building Tucson as a great outdoor community over the last 200+ years. At the same time, we wish to thank those people who will contribute to this project in the future and those people who spread the good word about Tucson on a regular basis.
Lance Armstrong: 7-time Tour de France Winner – December 2009
"Tucson is a real cycling Mecca. You have good infrastructure for roads, good climbs, nice flats, you also have a lot of bike lanes which is helpful for any cyclist but even for us when you're rolling down the road with 23-24 guys…the interaction with the traffic and the local people has been wonderful." (Tucson hosted Team Radio Shack’s first team training camp during December 2009)Triathlete Magazine – October 2009
Tucson named as the #1 “Best Place to Live”Trail Runner Magazine – October 2008
Tucson named as one of the “Top 8 Towns for Trail Runners”Triathlete Magazine – September 2007
Tucson named as the #2 “Winter Training Destination”League of American Bicyclists – May 2006
Tucson achieved Gold status as Bicycle Friendly Community (still current)Bicycling Magazine – March 2006
Tucson named as the #2 “Best Cycling City” (population 200,000 to 500,000)
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