SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sunday's IRONMAN California event in Sacramento has been canceled because of this weekend's storm.
The race was canceled shortly before the race was set to begin. According to a post on IRONMAN California's Facebook, they say weather conditions worsened overnight and will stay bad through the course of the day.
On Friday, just days before the races, officials said they did not expect to cancel the event. Officials told ABC10 Sunday morning only a few races in the triathlon's history have been canceled.
"We no longer believe that we can provide an acceptably safe swim and bike environment for our athletes," the Facebook post reads. "The safety of the athletes, volunteers and spectators is our highest priority. It would not be responsible to host the event at this moment in time."
More than 3,000 athletes traveled to the Sacramento area to race 140.6 miles, including a 2.4-mile swim from the American River to the Sacramento River and a 112-mile bike ride to the Delta and back to Sacramento.
"We recognize that the change at this late juncture will come as a disappointment and are working diligently to provide you with further details and racing options," the Facebook posts said.
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