Salem’s fire chief, city council president join dozens of locals racing Ironman Oregon
Nearly 150 Salem residents will join triathletes from all over the world to compete in Oregon’s fifth Ironman race this Sunday at Riverfront Park.
Competitors will gather near dawn at the park for a walk across the Minto Island Bridge to the start. The 70.3 mile race begins at 6:15 a.m. when athletes plunge into the Willamette River at Minto-Brown Island Park for a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride through south Salem, and finally a 13.1 mile run finishing back at Riverfront Park.
Over 2,500 competitors are signed up, and 5,000 supporters are expected to visit Salem for the July 20 event, according to a press release from Travel Salem.
Ironman road closures
Residents can expect traffic closures in south Salem on Sunday, July 20, from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.. A press release from the city of Salem advised that cars avoid South River Road during these hours.
Southeast Mission and South Saginaw streets will only be open to local traffic. In downtown, Southeast Front Street to Southeast Trade Street and Southeast Commercial Street will have one lane open for cars. South Owens Street between Southeast Liberty Street and River Road will be closed to westbound traffic.
Riverfront, Minto-Brown Island and Wallace Marine parks will stay open to the public during the race. Parking will be limited near the event.
The event has been popular with athletes since its 2021 debut in part due to the course’s scenery and faster completion times. Competitors benefit from a flat run and quicker swim, aided by the Willamette River’s current. The race typically sells out registrations and fills Salem hotels.
Local competitors include Salem Fire Chief David Gerboth and Salem City Councilor Linda Nishioka.
Nishioka is the oldest athlete listed among the competitors from Salem. This year’s Ironman will be the 73-year-old’s first race after recovering from hip replacement surgery.
Nishioka was unsure if she would be able to compete when she signed up for the race last year. In recent months, she became confident that she was ready.
“I told my husband yesterday, I said, ‘Well, I’m feeling pretty good, so let’s see how it goes,’” she said.
Nishioka will race as a runner on a three-person relay team, with her husband biking and their friend swimming.
At the end of a lengthy bike ride, Gary Nishioka, 69, will pass the baton to Linda, who will finish the relay.
“I’m looking forward to finishing, and finishing with a smile on my face and feeling confident that I am able to continue running,” Nishioka said.
Gary has competed in every Oregon Ironman race since 2022, a year after it came to the state. In the 2023 race, Gary suffered a bicycle accident just one mile from the finish.
“I hit something in the road and I flipped my bike and I crashed into a concrete wall,” Gary said.
Gary got a concussion from the crash, but was able to bounce back and said he has put the incident behind him.
He looks forward to reaching the end of the biking segment, saying the feeling at the end of a race is “exhilarating.”
Collin Box, 36, who grew up in Salem, will also compete on a relay team called “Family Trio,” alongside his dad and a family friend.
Box’s dad, Tom, has a long roster of Ironman races. When Ironman came to Salem, Box saw it as an opportunity to spend time with his dad.
“I definitely enjoy the opportunity to do something with my dad. That’s a big blessing,” Collin said.
Tom Box will begin the race with a brisk morning swim in the Willamette. Last year, it took him just over twenty minutes.
“It’s such an interesting and unique swim course because it’s downriver,” Tom said. “If you get out into the current a little bit more, you just fly down the river.”
After a chilly swim, Tom will pass the baton to the team’s bicyclist, with Collin set to finish the relay as a runner. Tom and other family members will be waiting for Collin at the Riverfront Park finish line.
“To be sharing the experience with him makes me proud,” Tom said. “Makes me proud to know that he’s interested in running and competing like I once did.”
Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] or (208) 515-4097.
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Hailey Cook covers healthcare for Salem Reporter, from the city’s only hospital to local outlooks on health insurance coverage. She joined the newsroom in 2025, following the completion of an internship through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. She also works as a photojournalist, capturing community events, government meetings and other gatherings.
