IRONGUARD | longbeachjgs

LONG BEACH IRONGUARD

HISTORY

Since 1975, the Ironguard has been a longstanding tradition in the Long Beach Junior Lifeguard program. Each year, the last week of the junior lifeguard program is marked by this event. Junior guards, parents and swimming enthusiasts alike gather at 1st Place and race all the way to the end of the sand at 72nd Place on the Peninsula. The course consists of four miles of running and two miles of swimming. Participants swim around 14 buoys, one at each lifeguard tower, plus all the way around the pier and run the distances in between. Participants who complete the race in under 2 hours will receive an event hat. A perpetual trophy for the boys & girls top finishers of the A, B and C divisions respectively was created in 2009.

LOGISTICS

Date: 2025 date TBA
Time: 9AM sharp
Registration: Registration begins at 8:00am for all participants. We will have separate lines for A's, B's, and C's. Parents - if you are going to participate with your JG, you do not need to register.
Parking: Parking for the day will be free in the 72nd Place and Alamitos parking lots. We do not provide transportation between the start and finish. If you want to run the course with your child, one option is to find a friend in the program and drop one car off at 72nd Pl and leave one at the start. Or, you can get your child checked in at the start then drive to the pier or finish area to cheer them on!
Starting areas: The event begins at 1st Place lifeguard tower. We will have separate start funnels and first buoys for A's, B's, and C's. The C's will be closest to the jetty on the west side, B' will be in the middle, and A's on the east side. Each funnel will be marked with the corresponding age group.
Gear transport: If your JG has a backpack or other gear - you are responsible for getting it down to 72nd Place! There will not be a truck available this year for gear transport, so please coordinate ahead of time.
Water stations: There will be water stations at Beach Operations, the pier, and 55th Pl.
- Water stations are for JGs ONLY!
IMPORTANT NOTE: If for some reason your child does not finish the Ironguard, they are required to notify a Lifeguard truck or cart on the beach before they leave. For safety reasons, we need to make sure every child is accounted for.
Many seasoned parents or other supporters will run the course with their child, don't worry you can choose to rest while they swim. If you do run with your JG, please stay out of the way of other participants.