A participant receives extra support near the finish line as spectators cheer and reach out during the 2023 Ironman 70.3 Maine in Augusta. Kennebec Journal file

AUGUSTA — Ironman triathletes plan to return next Sunday to the roads and a river in central Maine.

If trends continue, bicycles and running shoes will not be all they bring. Organizers expect an impact from a growing contingent of family and friends — and their travel dollars.

Registrations for the 2024 Ironman 70.3 Maine, which features swimming, cycling and running, sold out Thursday, according to Ryan Jannell, the race director. About 2,500 competitors have signed up.

The increasing interest in the event says a lot about the area where it is held, Jannell said. Even when he is organizing races outside Maine, people tell him they are excited about the Maine event.

“The community itself has embraced this event and made it their own,” he said. “This area has just the right DNA for this.”

One of the attractions for many athletes worldwide is the swim portion, which is comparatively fast due to the tide and current of the Kennebec River. Ironman 70.3 Maine features the fastest swim times recorded for its type of half-triathalon.

A study of last year’s Ironman 70.3 Maine showed a total economic impact of $4.9 million, up from the previous year’s $2.6 million.

Last year also saw a jump in the number of people coming to Maine for the race. Not only were there 1,885 visiting athletes, but also 3,946 visiting spectators, which, combined with organizers coming for the race, brought 5,837 people to the area the weekend of the event.

Each athlete brought an average of 2.16 nonparticipating travel party members, a survey of participants showed.

Those visitors spent some $4.9 million while here, including $1.9 million for lodging, accounting for 3,552 hotel room nights and 1,906 vacation rental nights, according to data provided by Ironman organizers based on registration data and surveys of participants.

“Last year we had more athletes but the data also showed their travel party sizes increased. They made it maybe a full family trip, and maybe extended their trip a few extra days in town,” said Katie Doherty, president and CEO of Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, which worked with The Ironman Group to bring the event to the area. “So it’s a great economic boon to the region, for sure. Hopefully they come back and keep coming back year after year.”

Those additional visitors also will affect traffic, especially during the race, which starts and ends in Augusta. Some roads will be closed to vehicle traffic while athletes and motorists will share others at the same time. Traffic delays are expected as competitors participate in the 13.1-mile run and 56-mile bicycle portions of the race on local roads.

Augusta Police Lt. Chris Blodgett urges motorists to be patient and plan ahead, especially if they need to get through the interior of the city during the Sunday event.

Participants in the 2023 Ironman 70.3 Maine run on Water Street in Hallowell, while automobile traffic is at a standstill. Police waved vehicles through during lulls in the race. Kennebec Journal file

Road closures in Augusta will include the closure of Memorial Drive and Memorial Bridge, between the two rotaries, which Blodgett said would be shut down to traffic Sunday morning until the last bicycle rider is out of town, likely around 9 a.m. Water Street in Augusta, from Bridge Street to the entrance of Walgreen’s, also will be shut down for part of the morning, as both the bike and running courses use Water Street.

Blodgett said once the bicyclists are out of town, officials will open Water Street between Bridge and Winthrop streets for southbound traffic only. There also will be a few other smaller detours and traffic pattern changes on some side streets in the downtown area.

“Detours and road shifts should be clearly marked or even have an officer there to answer any questions,” Blodgett said. “There will definitely be more people in town than your average weekend in Augusta, as most of the the around 2,000 athletes come with family and friends to cheer them on and are here for the whole weekend. The biggest thing is there will be a lot more pedestrian traffic around the immediate race course during the race.”

The city’s police will have 24 extra details — shifts filled by officers — in addition to the department’s usual weekend staffing. They will help with things from traffic control to being on hand for Ironman events.

Message boards will be put out this week to notify travelers of some of the bigger traffic changes and road closures. Ironman officials also have sent out mailings to residents along the routes of the races.

Ironman 70.3 Maine is put on by The Ironman Group, a company that puts on similar races around the world each year, with some 170 triathlons and other endurance sports events, according to its website.

Last year the organization and KV Chamber of Commerce officials agreed to a three-year contract, extending the annual race in Augusta through 2027.

Last year, Doherty said, athletes came for the event from 28 countries and 47 states. Around 700 volunteers help with the event.

Ironman officials bill the central Maine race as an escape to Maine saying, on the race’s website, “Augusta is the perfect place to play in the summer with an eclectic downtown along the river. From outdoor activities to culinary delights, Maine provides an outstanding northeastern coastal escape.”

The events are expected to follow the same general routes as last year’s, with a few tweaks.

The race routes include a 1.2-mile swim down the Kennebec River, starting below Bridge Street in Augusta and finishing just south of the Capital Park Recreation Fields. Competitors will then bike a 56-mile loop through Augusta, Chelsea, Pittston, Dresden, Richmond, Litchfield, Gardiner, West Gardiner, Hallowell and Farmingdale, before running 13.1 miles along the Kennebec River Rail Trail in Augusta, Hallowell and Farmingdale, starting and finishing in Augusta.