“We’ve sold out the event with 2,300 athletes,” said Old Orchard Beach Recreation Director Jason Webber at a recent Town Council meeting.
The triathlon begins Sunday at 6:20 a.m. with a 1.2-mile swim in the Atlantic Ocean, ending in the Walnut Street area.
After completing the swim portion, athletes head to the town parking lot at Milliken Street and begin a 56-mile bicycle ride that will take them through Saco, Dayton, Lyman, Waterboro and Hollis as they ride to and from Old Orchard Beach.
The last segment of the race is a 13-mile run that will take athletes to Scarborough and back with portions of the run on the Eastern Trail.
Though the race isn’t until Sunday, set up for the event has already begun, and athlete check-in and other activities will begin Friday night at Veterans Memorial Park.
Town parking lots at Veterans Memorial Park and Milliken Street are closed until Monday. First Street will be closed from Staples Street to Heath Street until Monday and Milliken Street will be very congested on Saturday.
On Sunday, there will be road closures at Walnut Street and Milliken Street and part of Cascade Road. There will also be delays on parts of U.S. Route 1, Ross Road and Milliken Mills Road.
Town officials suggest motorists avoid congestion by using Pine Point Road to East Grand Avenue to Atlantic Avenue to Route 5 to U.S. Route 1, or Route 5 to Atlantic Avenue to West Grand Avenue to Pine Point Road to U.S. Route 1.
Town Manager Larry Mead said at the Town Council meeting the race was going to be “tremendous” and bringing 2,300 people to town was a “major event.”
“We’re looking forward to it,” he said.
Volunteer Coordinator Justin Chenette, who also works at the Journal Tribune as a digital advertising executive, said in a phone interview Thursday that about 600 volunteers had signed up.
Volunteers are still needed for a variety of positions, he said, including registering athletes, directing athletes, handing out water and protein bars to athletes and working in the food tent. For more information on available positions, go to volunteerironman.com.
Chenette said volunteers of all ages are welcome. “We definitely make it a family friendly event so everyone can participate,” he said.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].
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