You only have to be at the swim start at the municipal beach or the finish line at the Olympic Speedskating Oval to catch Ironman fever. The stories of athletes — of all ages, shapes and sizes — overcoming adversity are endless. The energy is infectious.

For better or worse, this is where Lake Placid shines — playing the perfect host to thousands of athletes, families and spectators every year.

Since the early 20th century, Lake Placid has been in the event business — starting with conventions at hotels such at the Stevens House, cultural happenings at the Lake Placid Club and international speedskating races on Mirror Lake. It was always the ambition to grow this resort into a successful year-round tourism community. And guess what? It worked. Just look at Main Street, bustling every month of the year, and you can see why Lake Placid is the envy of the Adirondack Park when it comes to economic prosperity.

When we see events such as the Lake Placid Horse Shows, 2023 FISU Winter World University Games, World Cup skiing and sliding and the Lake Placid Summit Classic lacrosse tournaments, we’re only witnessing the latest incarnation of Lake Placid’s hospitality history. Generations before us planned, organized and worked hard to host events. Delegations from the 1920s to the 1970s traveled abroad to bring the Olympic Winter Games here in 1932 and 1980. And they built new offerings, such as the summer figure skating programs, to bring even more visitors here.

The state has invested millions of dollars in Lake Placid — from operating the bobsled run in the 1930s to creating the Olympic Regional Development Authority in 1981 and keeping our Olympic legacy alive. And it’s due to the hard work and perseverance of our community leaders.

Ironman may be run by an international corporation, but this is a homegrown success story, and we’re proud of Lake Placid for that. Aside from the World Championship race in Hawaii, Lake Placid is the gold standard for Ironman.

We remember the first Ironman in Lake Placid held on Sunday, Aug. 15, 1999. The mass swim start was a sight to behold. Mayor Jim Strack was on the dock, wearing an Ironman ball cap, along with other dignitaries, to watch more than 1,600 triathletes begin their 2.4-mile swim. Everyone, it seemed, had Ironman fever.

Little did we know that Ironman would become our biggest annual event. Little did we know that Ironman dreams would come true for thousands of athletes here. Little did we know the headaches this race would cause for some of the locals.

After 25 years, this community is suffering from event fatigue. “Ugh! Not Ironman again!” some people say. We know Lake Placid residents who leave town for Ironman weekend every year so they don’t have to deal with the crowds and traffic. We know residents in other Tri-Lakes communities who avoid Lake Placid during Ironman weekend every year for the same reasons.

But the Lake Placid News and Adirondack Daily Enterprise have been at every Ironman race here, covering it for the athletes and their families, for our readers and for posterity. We’ve been at the swim start, the bike portion and the finish line for the past 25 years, and it doesn’t get old for us. We’re still inspired, we’re still in awe and we still love hearing legendary emcee Mike Reilly — coming out of retirement for this one race to celebrate the 25th anniversary — call out to every finisher, “You are an Ironman!”