Ready, aim: From the 2014 National Archery in the Schools Program.
On Sept. 7, Madison will host Ironman Wisconsin for the 13th consecutive year. It's an event that long ago established itself by offering one of the most spectator-friendly courses on the entire Ironman triathlon circuit. More than 45,000 people spend hours standing along stretches of city streets and rural roads, cheering on runners and riders they'll never meet or even see again.
The entire weekend inspires awe and justifies the role of sports in uniting strangers. For at least one day, the world feels like a better and safer place.
"Ironman really opened our eyes to the fact that there's this hunger for an opportunity to bring in events that the community engages with," says Deb Archer, president and CEO of the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau, which led the efforts to establish Ironman Wisconsin in 2002. "The community embraced Ironman so strongly that we knew we could grow the market."
And that's exactly what the Madison Area Sports Commission has done. Launched in 2010 as an arm of the CVB, MASC and its three full-time employees recently secured a contract extension with Ironman to keep the race here through 2018 while finding numerous ways to elevate sports tourism in the region -- from hosting Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association events to quirky global competitions.
The Tug-of-War International Federation World Championships, for example, will be held at Olin Park on Aug. 28-31. (Yes, this competition takes four days!) Teams from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Latvia and other countries are expected to participate.
"We do our homework," says Judy Frankel, the CVB's public relations and communications manager, when asked how MASC landed such an event. Board members of the United States Tug-of-War Association happen to live in the Madison area, so the connection was obvious.
A similar grassroots relationship is developing between the commission and local martial arts organizations, resulting in Madison hosting the USA Taekwondo Wisconsin State Championships the past two years at Middleton High School. Additionally, the 2104 Hwa Rang Do World Championships took place two weeks ago at the Madison Marriott West.
"Martial arts is a best-kept secret in Madison," says Jamie Patrick, director of sports sales and program development for the commission. "There are so many disciplines here."
Last month, Madison also hosted the sixth annual National Archery in the Schools Program's World Tournament at the Alliant Energy Center, attracting 2,425 participants in grades 4-12 from 28 states, two Canadian provinces and South Africa. The 2014 U.S. World Team Trials for Junior Freestyle/Greco-Roman and Senior Freestyle Wrestling were held at the Coliseum in late May and early June, and Verona's Reddan Soccer Park was the site of the U.S. Lacrosse Central Championships in mid-June.
Additionally, MASC recently locked in USA Climbing's 2015 American Bouldering Series National Championships at Monona Terrace and the United States Twirling Association's 2017 U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships.
"We can bring the world here," Archer says. "We do it with Ironman, and we do it with World Dairy Expo. Why not do it with other events, too?"
Madison's eclecticism has encouraged organizations such as USA Cycling -- which brought the 2012 and 2013 Cyclo-cross National Championships to Badger Prairie Park in Verona -- to choose this area over others. The racing sport, developed in Europe as a way for road riders to stay fit during the fall and winter months, involves riding on a 1.5-mile loop of paved and off-road terrain marked with obstacles requiring participants to dismount and run while shouldering their bikes.
"Of all the cycling events, it's probably the most spectator-friendly one," Patrick says. "It's photogenic and it's organic, so it fits with who we are as a community. Cycling has been one of the primary markets to help build sports tourism here." Last month, in fact, the 2014 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships were held here.
What accelerated MASC's progress? Credit a combination of Madison hosting the National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games in 2010 and the demise of the Badger State Games in the Madison area.
While it does its best to bring events to Madison, the commission also gives back to the community with its Youth Grant program. Funded by contributions from the Ironman Foundation, as well as individuals and corporations, the program awards up to $35,000 in grants each year to youth sports organizations as diverse as the Stoughton Tumblers and the Southside Raiders.
"Our community is special," Frankel says. "Part of my job is to tell everybody how great Madison is, but we get to live here. We have lakes and trails and parks, which make it so easy to be active. That's what's so amazing."
