The 44th IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast will take place in Panama City Beach on May 9, attracting around 1,800 athletes. Traffic changes are expected in the area due to the event.
PANAMA CITY BEACH − Athletes are slated to flood the Beach during the weekend for the 44th IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast.
As director of the race, Ben Rausa said he expects for the event to garner about 1,800 athletes. It will be held in Panama City Beach on May 9, impacting various roads and traffic patterns throughout the area.
The race boats a 1.2-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run along local roads. Bad weather conditions last year caused race officials to not only cancel the swim, but also end the entire event early.
The 44th IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast is slated for May 9 in Panama City Beach.
"We're just looking for some great weather," Rausa said. "The forecast looks really good right now. We know it's subject to change, but we have a lot of contingency plans for inclement weather or anything that we face that's a challenge."
Multiple roads will be impacted during the race. They include:
"We have an amazing relationship with the county, the city and all the emergency services we work hand-in-hand with," Rausa said. "We just have an open line of communication to handle anything that comes our way."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach to host 44th IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast on May 9
The 44th IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast is scheduled for May 9.
Approximately 1,800 athletes are expected to participate in the event.
The race includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.
The event will impact various roads and traffic patterns throughout Panama City Beach.
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