(Radio Iowa) – As some 50-thousand bicycle riders roll into Des Moines on RAGBRAI starting this (Wednesday) morning, thousands -more- athletes are arriving in Iowa’s largest city for start of the Junior Olympic Games. Catch Des Moines president and C-E-O Greg Edwards says sporting events will be held in venues all around the metro area. The games will draw 14-thousand athletes from across the U-S, including 700 from Iowa, competing in 15 different sports, including track and field, basketball, gymnastics, field hockey and more.

The games, sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union, will run over the course of 11 days, with an estimated economic impact of 44-million dollars. Edwards says this marks the seventh time the Junior Olympics have been held in Des Moines, and they’ll be back in 2026 and 2030.