Parks & Recreation

Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2008

Mark your calendars now for next year's Ironman World Championship 70.3. The race will be held on Nov. 14, 2009!

Ironman Race Traffic Question Hotline: 727-562-4881

To send feedback or comments about the Ironman event, please e-mail us.

• Ironman Live Web Site
• Image Gallery from 2007 Ironman World Championship
• Ironman Streaming Video Clips

Latest News and Announcements

• 11/3/2008 - Shuttles, Parking and Spectator Information for Ironman Race Day
• 10/13/2008 - Residents Should Plan for Ironman 70.3 Traffic Impacts Saturday, Nov. 8
• 7/2/2008 - Ironman Route Announced
• 2/21/2008 - Foster Grant to Title Ironman World Championship 70.3

Quick Facts

• When: Saturday, November 8, 2008, beginning at 7:00 a.m. (6:45 a.m. Pro start)
• What: A 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run. Competitors have 8 hours to finish the race; cutoff times are applied to each segment of the race.
• Where: Clearwater Beach, FL, one of the world's top tourist destinations.
• Who: more than 1,800 athletes from around the globe.
• Purse: A total of $100,000 is split among the top 10 men and women.
• Training: During targeted training months, the average Ironman triathlete spends 15 to 20 hours per week preparing for this event. Many competitors also cross-train with weight training, stretching and yoga, among other activities.
• Weather: Average temperatures on race day range from 58 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Internet: Triathlon fans can follow every stroke, spin and stride live on race day by visiting www.ironmanlive.com. Real-time race results, live audio and video updates by well-known triathletes, as well as text updates and photos are available.

Maps and Competition Routes

• 2008 Full Event Route
• 2008 Estimated Bike Times
• 2008 Swim Course
• 2008 Bike Course
• 2008 Run Course

Estimated Times of Impact

The bike route, which travels 56 miles throughout northern and mid Pinellas County, will affect the following areas:

• State Road 60 (in both directions) from the Roundabout to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, 7 to 9:15 a.m.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (northbound lanes) from Court Street to Drew Street, 7:10 to 9:15 a.m.
• Drew Street (eastbound lanes) from Missouri Avenue to Belcher Road, 7:10 to 9:30 a.m.
• Belcher Road (northbound lanes) from Drew Street to Countryside Boulevard, 7:15 9:40 a.m.
• Countryside Boulevard (northbound lanes) from Belcher Road to Lake St. George Drive, 7:15 to 9:50 a.m.
• Tampa Road (eastbound lanes) from Lake St. George Drive to Curlew Road, 7:20 to 10:15 a.m.
• East Lake Road (in both directions) from Tampa Road to Arbor Oaks Drive, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• McMullen Booth Road at Curlew Road, 7:30 to 10:45 a.m.
• McMullen Booth Road (southbound lanes) from Curlew Road to the Bayside Bridge, 7:40 to 11:10 a.m.
• 49th Street (southbound) from the Bayside Bridge to 82nd Avenue, 8:15 to 11:40 a.m.
• 82nd Avenue (westbound lanes) from 49th Street to Belcher Road, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• Belcher Road (northbound lanes) from 82nd Avenue to Gulf to Bay Boulevard, 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• State Road 60 (westbound lanes) from Belcher Road to Clearwater Beach, 8:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Full Road Closures

Most roads along the route will have only partial lane closures. Soft closures allow the police officers to let cars through when there is a break between the bicycles. Cars may have to wait for an extended period of time until they are permitted to travel through the intersection. Expect delays on Clearwater Beach as South Gulfview Boulevard will close on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. Full road closures on race day include the following:

• Coronado Drive from the roundabout to Devon, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• McMullen Booth Road and 580, 7 to 10:30 a.m.
• McMullen Booth Road from Curlew Road to Tampa Road, 7 to 11 a.m. northbound lanes only
• Bayside Bridge southbound from Drew Street to Roosevelt Boulevard, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• 66th Street and Bryan Dairy Road, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Ft. Harrison Avenue from Chestnut Street to Jeffords Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bay Avenue from Druid Road to Jeffords Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Magnolia Drive from the Pinellas Trail to Druid Road South, 8 a.m. to 4 pm.
• Druid Road South from Jeffords Street to Orange Avenue, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Orange Avenue from Druid Road to Turner Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Turner Street from Orange Avenue to Oak Avenue, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Oak Avenue from Turner Street to Chestnut Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Detour Routes

View Map of All Detours Routes

The median openings along East Lake Road between Tampa Road and Arbor Oaks Drive will be blocked throughout the duration of the bike portion of the race.

East Lake Area Detours

View Map of East Lake Area Detour Routes

• Residents living on the east side of East Lake Road will be able to travel north on East Lake Road.
• Residents living west of East Lake Road will be able to travel south on East Lake Road to access Tampa Road.
• Residents that live east of East Lake Road can travel north on East Lake Road past Arbor Oaks Drive to make a U-turn to go south on East Lake Road.
• Residents living east of East Lake Road can also utilize East Lake Woodlands Parkway to access Tampa Road.
• At McMullen Booth Road and State Road 580, traffic traveling on McMullen Booth Road will be detoured east on State Road 580 to Tampa Road where cars will able to access East Lake Road and continue north bound or vice- versa.

Clearwater to Pinellas Park Detour

View Map of Clearwater to Pinellas Park Detour Routes

• Residents needing to travel to from McMullen Booth Road and Drew Street to Pinellas Park on race day will be unable to utilize the Bayside Bridge and will need to take the detour route. Beginning at McMullen Booth Road and Drew Street, travel west on Drew Street to U.S. 19, then go east on Roosevelt Boulevard where cars can then access 49th Street or vice-versa.

Pinellas Park Detours

View Map of Pinellas Park Detour Routes

• Residents living inside the box bound by 82nd Avenue, 49th Street, Belcher Road and 102nd Avenue that need to access U.S. 19 will need to travel to 60th Street then to 110th Avenue, go east to 58th Street and then north to U.S. 19.
• Residents needing to get to Tampa on race day and live inside the "box" mentioned above, leave before 8 a.m. to avoid any event-related traffic delays.

Safety Harbor Detour

View Map of Safety Harbor Detour Route

• State Route 590/Philippe Parkway will be closed due to construction beginning Friday, Nov. 7. Residents needing to travel from State Route 580 to Philippe Parkway/State Route 590 will need take North Bay Hills Blvd. as a detour route during the Ironman race

How to Get to U.S. 19

East-West Roads that will be open:

• Park Blvd. from the beaches to the Gandy Bridge.
• Tampa Rd. will be open to traffic. Cars will be able to travel eastbound in the two inside lanes, and westbound lanes will not be affected.
• Tarpon Ave./Keystone Rd. from Alternate U.S. 19 to Hillsborough County.

East-West Roads that will be affected by soft closures (police will monitor and allow traffic through when safe):

• Ulmerton Rd. with some soft closures at Belcher Rd., 8:49 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
• East Bay Dr. with some soft closures at Belcher Rd., 8:52 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Gulf to Bay Blvd. with soft closures at Belcher Rd., 8:58 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.
• Drew St. with soft closures at Belcher Rd., 7:21 a.m. to 9:25 a.m.
• Sunset Point Rd. from Alternate U.S. 19 to McMullen Booth Rd. with soft closure at Belcher Rd., 7:25 a.m. to 9:33 a.m.
• State Route 580 with a soft closure at Countryside Blvd., 7:30 a.m. to 9:42 a.m.

Intersections to Avoid

The following intersections will be blocked on race day and there will be significant traffic delays.

• Coronado Drive at the Roundabout, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Court Street, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Belcher and Drew Street, 7:15 to 10 a.m.
• Belcher and Gulf to Bay Boulevard, 9 a.m. to noon
• McMullen Booth Road and Curlew Road, 7:30 to 10:45 a.m.

Run Course Information

Runners will do two loops beginning at Pier 60 and will travel through downtown and into Harbor Oaks and back to Pier 60. To access Morton Plant Hospital, drivers will have to use Pinellas Street.

• Cones will be placed in the Harbor Oaks area at 5 a.m.
• Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. there will be limited access out of the run course area. Officers will begin to arrive at their posts
  at 8:30 a.m. and will allow cars to leave depending on the gaps between runners.
• The run portion of the race will begin at approximately 9 a.m., the runners will be making two full laps through the Harbor Oaks neighborhood.
• The north side of Magnolia Drive will be used by runners, and the south side of Magnolia Drive will have limited access to leave and travel east.
• Magnolia Drive west of Bay Avenue will be blocked. Vehicles will be unable to travel on Magnolia Drive between Bay Avenue and West Druid.
• Traffic should utilize Myrtle Avenue because Fort Harrison Avenue will be closed from Chestnut Street to Jeffords Street. Cars will be allowed to cross Fort Harrison Avenue when it is safe.
• Do not park on the street anywhere along the route including Magnolia Drive, S. Druid Road, Turner Street, Orange Avenue, Jeffords Street and Oak Avenue.
• S. Druid Road will be closed between Bay Avenue and Jeffords Street.
  

PSTA Changes on Race Day

View a list of PSTA Detours for Race Day

To accommodate the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will temporarily alter bus service throughout much of central Pinellas County on race day morning, November 8. This will include a temporary relocation of the buses serving Park Street Terminal to 200 S Madison Ave. between S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and S. Missouri Ave. PSTA staff will be on hand at both sites to offer assistance to help passengers get to their desired buses. Normal service is expected to resume to Park Street Terminal by 1 p.m. on race day.

Beginning on the morning of Wednesday, November 5, PSTA service to Clearwater Beach will be detoured due to road closings.

Notices will be posted at all bus stops affected by the detours to alert riders to the temporary changes. As of Friday, October 24, full details about the detours can be found on www.PSTA.net or by calling the PSTA InfoLine at (727) 540-1900.

Parking

View Map of Beach Parking Lots

The Pier 60 lot will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 4 - Monday, Nov. 10. The Marina lot will close at 5 a.m. on race day. The South Gulfview Boulevard lot and the Sand Key lots are open all week. Volunteers and spectators are encouraged to park in downtown Clearwater and take the shuttles. Downtown parking includes City Hall, 112 S. Osceola Ave., Pinellas County Court House Lot, corner of Chestnut Street and Oak Avenue, Garden Avenue Garage, 28 N. Garden Ave., and the Municipal Services Garage, 100 S. Myrtle Ave.

Shuttles 

Shuttles will run continuously from 4 a.m. until 6 p.m. on race day from the following locations:

• Municipal Services Garage, East Avenue and Pierce Street
• Pinellas County Court House, corner of Chestnut Street and Oak Avenue
• Garden Avenue Garage, 28 N. Garden Ave.
• Oak Avenue Lot, corner of Chestnut Street and Oak Avenue
• Ft. Harrison Avenue Lot, corner of Chestnut Street and Osceola Avenue
• Sand Key Park
• Hamden Drive and Devon Drive

Spectator Information

Course:

Swim - 1.2 miles/1.9 km
The swim starts and finishes on the south side of Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. The swim course is an elongated rectangle over one-half mile long and 100 yards wide. With a projected water temperature of 72-76 degrees on race day, wetsuits will likely be permitted.

Bike - 56 miles/90.1 km
After exiting Transition 1 at Pier 60, athletes head west across the Memorial Causeway and through downtown Clearwater. The bike course is extremely fast and includes a few challenging inclines over the Memorial Causeway and Bayside bridges. Three (3) aid stations will keep the athletes well fueled during the bike portion.

Run - 13.1 miles/21.2 km
The run is a two-loop course that is both challenging and scenic. The route incorporates two steep ascents up the Memorial Causeway Bridge with long stretches along Causeway Boulevard and the Pinellas Trail (paved). The run turnaround, located at the 6.5-mile mark, is back at Pier 60, making this a spectator-friendly route. Run course aid stations are positioned at every mile. The run finishes at Clearwater Beach, just south of Pier 60.

Spectator Viewing:

6:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Ironman Live Broadcast - Watch the race unfold on the Jumbotron while relaxing on the beach at Pier 60 behind the Transition Area.

6:45 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Swim Start - Best viewing is on Clearwater Beach, just south of Pier 60.

7:05 a.m. - 9:05 a.m. Swim Finish/Transition 1 - See the athletes exit the water, change into their cycling gear and head out Causeway Boulevard.

9:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Transition 2/Run Start - Watch for the NBC helicopter and Pace Vehicle as they bring the leaders in from the bike course. Age group athletes will follow over the next several hours.

9:50 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Run Turnaround - Athletes will begin their second run lap at the turnaround near Pier 60.

10:25 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Finish Line - Cheer on the finishers as we crown this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Champions and as more than 1,800 athletes cross the finish line!

Race Day Tips

Athlete Tracking - Track your favorite athlete's progress at www.ironman.com or stop by the Athlete Tracking Tent near the Race Office at Pier 60.

Race Cut-Off Times - Swim: 9:05 a.m.; Bike: 12:30 p.m.; Run: 3:30 p.m.

Lost & Found - The Volunteer Check-In Tent located at the approach to Pier 60.

Visitor & Event Information - The Visitor Information Center is located at the approach to Pier 60.

Road Closures - See our road closures listing, or call the Road Closure Hotline at (727) 562-INFO.

Parking & Shuttle Service - Because parking at Pier 60 is extremely limited, we are providing shuttle bus service on race day from the following parking venues:

1. Sand Key Park
2. Downtown Clearwater
   • Municipal Services Garage - corner of South East Ave. & Pierce St.
   • Courthouse Lot - corner of Chestnut St. & Oak Ave.
   • Oak Ave. Lot - corner of Court St. & Oak Ave.
   • County Parking Garage - corner of Court St. & South Osceola Ave.
   • Ft. Harrison Lot - corner of Chestnut St. & Ft. Harrison Ave.
   • Court St. Lot - corner of Court St. & South Osceola Ave.

Shuttle buses will run to Pier 60 from these parking locations beginning at 4:00 a.m. on race day and will operate until 6:00 p.m.

Clearwater Municipal Marina - On race day the marina lot will be monitored by an attended from 5 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. The Coronado Dr. and Roundabout entrance to the marina will be blocked off at 3 a.m. Marina customers should plan be in the marina lot prior to 7 a.m. in order to access the boats. Use the Memorial Causeway to travel to the marina; do not take Gulf Blvd. or Coronado Dr. as you will not be able access the marina from that direction.

Television Coverage

Relive the Ironman 70.3 experience when NBC broadcasts the 2008 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3

Race Week Highlights

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Ironman Retail & Bike Tech, Pier 60

Thursday, November 6, 2008
8 - 11 a.m. Gatorade Practice Swim, Pier 60
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Ironman Retail & Bike Tech, Pier 60
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ironman Expo and Athlete Check-In, Pier 60

Friday, November 7, 2008
8 - 11 a.m. Gatorade Practice Swim, Pier 60
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Ironman Retail & Bike Tech, Pier 60
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Athlete Check-In, Pier 60
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ironman Expo, Pier 60
12 - 6 p.m. Mandatory Bike & Gear Bag Check-in, Pier 60

Saturday, November 8, 2008
5 - 6 a.m. Ironman Retail & Bike Tech, Pier 60
6:45 a.m. Pro Athlete Race Start, Pier 60
7 a.m. Race Start, Pier 60

Sunday, November 9, 2008
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Ironman Retail & Bike Tech, Pier 60

Volunteer Information

Volunteers Needed to Help Host Prestigious Athletic Event

In November, the world's greatest athletes will come to Clearwater to determine the best of the best. More than 1,800 athletes will compete in the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 on Nov. 8, 2008. Several thousand volunteers will be needed the week before the event and the day of the race to help the city host this prestigious competition. Volunteers can sign-up for various tasks including: assembling goody bags prior to race day, work an aid station, be a course marshall, body marking the athletes or wetsuit peeling on race day. When you choose to volunteer you have the opportunity to make new friends, have fun, receive a free Ironman 70.3 t-shirt and you'll also be treated to a volunteer appreciation party that will be held at Bright House Networks Field.

The 70.3 series showcases half the distance of the signature Ironman championship event that takes place in Kona, Hawaii each year. The competition will start and finish near Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. Triathletes will swim 1.2-miles in the Gulf of Mexico, bike 56 miles throughout Clearwater and surrounding communities, and run 13.1-miles from the beach, across the Memorial Causeway Bridge, and into downtown. This race is the culmination of more than 20 qualifying Ironman triathlons of the 70.3-distance held around the world.

Those interested in volunteering should contact ironmanvolunteers@myclearwater.com. For more information about the Ironman World Championship 70.3, visit www.ironman.com/worldchampionship70.3