Living Up to Its Champion Reputation

For many U.S. athletes who found success at the recent Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, the path to the podium ran right through Colorado Springs. Known as “Olympic City USA,” the region has about 60 sports organizations, including 25 National Governing Bodies, and welcomes and trains the best athletes in the country, as well as from around the world.
 

Colorado Springs is a unique destination not just for elite athletes, but also for visitors of all ages and abilities. The area’s focus on sports and athletes means Colorado Springs’ facilities are some of the best in the country. For visitors looking to up their game, or simply to enjoy that game to the fullest, Olympic City USA is a welcoming location with plenty to offer.
 

“Between the world’s best athletes who visit and train here, and the thousands of competitors of all ages who experience all that Colorado Springs has to offer, we’re constantly growing as a key sports destination,” says Cheryl McCullough, Senior Director of Sports and Events at Visit Colorado Springs.
 

Among the events bringing the best in the world to Colorado Springs is the 45th annual U.S. Senior Open Championship, scheduled to be played at The Broadmoor Golf Club June 25-29, 2025. It will be the third time the Senior Open will be contested at The Broadmoor (the last time was in 2018, during the resort’s centennial celebration, when it brought in nearly 135,000 spectators) and the ninth USGA event to be held at the resort overall.
 

“The tournament will again be held on the East Course at The Broadmoor, which is at an elevation of 6,300 feet,” McCullough says. “It’s a challenging course to play, but that’s why golfers love coming back here.” Designed by Donald Ross, the East Course was opened in 1918, the same year as the resort itself, and now it is a combination of holes from Ross’s original layout, as well as holes designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1952.
 

Visit Colorado Springs is working closely with The Broadmoor and USGA to bring the event to the region. “Colorado has a storied history of hosting golf’s biggest events, and we are privileged to once again stage a national championship,” says Jack Damioli, president/CEO of The Broadmoor. “This opportunity would not be possible without the support and partnership of the city of Colorado Springs, El Paso County and the state of Colorado.”
 

Top College Soccer

McCullough says Visit COS is a key to the teamwork and partnerships involved in helping to bring in events, including, in December 2025, the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, which will again be hosted at Weidner Field.
 

Located less than a half mile off Interstate 25 at the southern end of downtown Colorado Springs, Weidner Field is home to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, a USL Championship League soccer team. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) is again partnering with Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, Switchbacks FC and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs to host the NCAA men’s and women’s DII championships for the second time.
 

“The 2021 joint championship we hosted was widely recognized within the Division II soccer community as having an exceptional facility in Weidner Field, within one of the most beautiful cities in America,” says RMAC Commissioner Chris Graham. “The 2025 Championships will be another memorable moment for all participating teams.”
 

Adds RMAC Assistant Commissioner Ashley Dsida: “We are excited to showcase Olympic City USA once again and provide the student athletes, coaches and administrators with an incredible championship experience.”
 

The Weidner Field stadium can seat 8,000 spectators for games and 15,000 for concerts and private events, and, in addition to hosting professional and NCAA soccer, has staged everything from Premier League Lacrosse games to CerusArena (Colorado’s first-ever stadium obstacle course race), rugby matches and concerts by the likes of Incubus and Cody Johnson.
 

Inside the stadium, there are five locker rooms, a dedicated referee room, weight training and athletic training space, four concession stands, more than 12,000 square feet of event space and two outdoor patios. McCullough says loyal sports fans in Colorado Springs have helped put Weidner Field on the radar of event organizers. “When you’ve got a really great local fan base, as we do for the Switchbacks, you’re able to expand the venue to host other events, too. It’s become a destination stadium.”
 

City for Champions Project

Opened in early 2021, Weidner Field is part of the multi-year “City for Champions” project, which is helping to make Colorado Springs and the entire Pikes Peak Region even more of a sports destination. The massive City for Champions project also includes the Ed Robson Arena, an indoor hockey venue that opened in late 2021; and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which opened in 2020.
 

The other City for Champions components include the William Hybl Sports Medicine & Performance Center, which opened in 2020, and the United States Air Force Academy Gateway Visitor Center, which is slated for completion in 2025. All five facilities were approved by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade in 2013 and funded through regional tourism tax and fundraising efforts.
 

Ed Robson Arena, on the Colorado College campus, is a multi-purpose state-of-the-art facility designed to serve both the college and the Colorado Springs community. Seating about 3,400 fans, the venue includes locker rooms, concession stands, storage and in-house TV production accommodations, as well as administrative areas. It’s located at the north end of downtown Colorado Springs, a booming area that includes more than 100 restaurants, breweries, distilleries, coffee shops and bars, as well as nearly 1,000 hotel rooms split among seven hotels, all within walking distance of the venue.
 

Last year, Ed Robson Arena hosted the International Jump Rope Union’s World Jump Rope Championships, bringing in more than 1,200 athletes and 450 coaches and judges from 33 countries. Organizers from the International Jump Rope Union reported record participation numbers as the competition made its in-person return for the first time since 2019.
 

Coming to Colorado Springs in early 2025 is the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, which will take place at the Broadmoor World Arena. Teams from across the country will compete for titles in nine divisions: senior, senior elite 12, junior, collegiate, juvenile, intermediate, novice, adult and masters. It will be the fifth time the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships will be held in Colorado Springs; the last time was in 2022.
 

“We’re really excited to have the Synchronized Skating Championship back in our city,” McCullough says, “and feel this can help set us up to host more international skating events in coming years.”
 

Competing in Rare Air

“At an altitude of over 6,000 feet, the air is rare in Colorado Springs, making it an excellent location for serious training,” McCullough notes. Temperatures in the winter can be very mild, and both amateur and professional athletes enjoy the dry, sunny climate and seemingly endless list of athletic and recreational opportunities.
 

McCullough and her team, however, have some recommendations on competing, training and visiting the Pikes Peak Region to ensure a great experience:
 

• Arrive early and take time to adjust to the altitude.
• Rest the first day.
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated throughout travel and competition.
• Sleep is important.
• Take more frequent breaks during the first practice.
• Plan leisure activities, such as climbing Pikes Peak, after the competition as opposed to before or during.
• There are no proven “tricks” for simulating altitude at sea level, although interval training and aerobic conditioning at sea level may help improve endurance for exercise at altitude.

“Colorado Springs has always been a natural sports tourism destination,” McCullough notes. “The support for our City for Champions project has been amazing, and we’ll continue to build for the future, living up to our ‘Olympic City USA’ reputation.” SDM