Published July 2022
The IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio triathlon is just a few days away, and the City of Sandusky is set to welcome over 2,100 athletes for the race on Sunday, July 24. Downtown will look a little bit different this week, as the IRONMAN team get to work preparing the streets for race day. 2022 is the first year that IRONMAN will host a triathlon in Sandusky, previously running the race in Delaware, OH and the group has signed on with the City of Sandusky and Shores & Islands Ohio to bring the race back through 2024.
The 70.3-mile half triathlon begins with a 1.2-mile swim through Sandusky Bay, where athletes will be released from the Kelleys Island Ferry “Carlee Emily” at the Jackson Street Pier to start their race. After a loop along the breakwall and back to the Paper District Marina, the athletes will make the transition from water to land and begin their bicycle ride through Erie and Sandusky counties, climbing approximately 790 feet over the course of 56 miles across rural county roads. Athletes will return again to the Paper District Marina after completing the bike course, before beginning the 13.1-mile run through the city streets. After two loops of the run course, the athletes will finish the race on Columbus Avenue in front of the Historic Sandusky State Theatre, with Schade Mylander Plaza framing views of the Sandusky Bay as competitors cross the line.
IRONKIDS will take place Saturday, July 23 offering athletes under the age of 18 the opportunity to join in the action with three distances for different age groups. Starting at the Jackson Street Pier, the Toddler Dot Trot is a 30-foot dash for children age 1-3, as well as half-mile and mile races for ages 3-8 and 5-17.
Jackson Street Pier is also the scenic host of the IRONMAN Village that is free and open to the public, housing athlete registration as well as a number of event partners and local vendors. The Official IRONMAN Store will be open select hours Friday, July 22 through race day on Sunday, July 24th. A variety of businesses will have discounts available to race participants and volunteers through I'M Local Program, just show your race bib, medal or volunteer credentials at the locations to receive exclusive offers.
Several roads will be closed for the race, so head to the IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio Traffic Impact release to see if your commute will be altered during the weekend. Residents along the courses are encouraged to stop by our Welcome Centers to receive their free Shores & Islands Ohio flag to fly on race day, cheer on the athletes and place sprinklers in their front lawns to help cool everyone off. The Interactive Map provides an aerial view of the course and road closures as well as access roads to downtown Sandusky. A street parking ban will begin at 6 am Saturday, July 23 on all roads that are a part of the race course until 6 pm on Sunday, July 24.
We could not be more excited for the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio in Shores & Islands, and look forward to seeing our great community show their Lake Erie Love to the athletes and staff over the weekend! The question is, are YOU ready for IRONMAN?