The world’s largest multi-sport fitness festival in the world – the Arnold Sports Festival – runs Friday through Sunday in Columbus with more than 17,000 athletes competing in 37 events, including 12 Olympic sports.
More than 170,000 sports fans are expected to attend the events at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Franklin County Veterans Memorial, Ohio Expo Center and Nationwide Arena.
“There are few competitions anywhere in the world where you’ll find 165,000 people coming together for such a huge Sports Festival event,” said Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a press release. “It’s really spectacular.”
Schwarzenegger has attended the festival every year since it began in 1989 as a one-day professional men’s bodybuilding competition, and is scheduled to attend this weekend.
Already attracting more athletes than the Olympics, this year the festival adds the Arnold 5K Racewalk, which becomes the 12th Olympic sport joining archery, boxing, gymnastics, judo, fencing, karate, running, table tennis, tae kwon do, weightlifting and wrestling.
Also new is the Arnold Party With The Pros, a club-like party Saturday night at Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, which will include photo opportunities with the pros, an appearance by Schwarzenegger, music, dancing and Las Vegas entertainment.
Of the 17,000 athletes attending, 13,000 youth athletes are expected to compete this year and have a chance to win one of nine $2,000 college scholarships presented by the Columbus Rotary.
“Governor Schwarzenegger and I originally saw the Arnold Sports Festival as an opportunity to celebrate excellence through sports performance,” said Jim Lorimer, of Classic Productions and coproducer for the festival, in a press release. “We value our partnership with Columbus Rotary and our joint commitment to youth through these scholarships.”
This year the Arnold Fitness EXPO hosts 700 fitness-related booths. Entry to the EXPO and most sports events requires a daily $10 EXPO ticket.
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Claire Racine can be reached at [email protected].
