PANAMA CITY BEACH — Hundreds of triathletes are slated to flood local streets in just a few weeks.
In a meeting on April 15, Bay County commissioners approved a request from the Bay County Tourist Development Council to use local right-of-ways in the upcoming Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast.
Slated for May 10, the race boasts a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run.
“We have been doing it for over 40 years,” Dan Rowe, president and CEO of Visit PCB, said of the race. “It is a big deal for athletes from around the world coming in to Panama City Beach.”
According to Rowe, the main impacts from the race to Bay County will occur during the bike portion. Both the swim and run portions happen within the city limits of Panama City Beach, while the bike portion extends into unincorporated Bay County.
The swim will take place in the Gulf of Mexico, now referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government, near Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, which is located at 11212 Front Beach Road.
The bike will affect local roads, including Front Beach Road, Philip Griffitts Sr. Parkway and State 79, as well as Pier Park, Gayle’s Trails and Camp Helen State Park
The run will affect local roads, including Front Beach Road, Richard Jackson Boulevard, Alf Coleman Road, Middle Beach Road and Pennel Street.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast is one of two IRONMAN events held every year in Panama City Beach. The other is the full length IRONMAN Florida held in the fall. It includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
“Giving that (the May 10 race) is the half, it runs a lot quicker than the full IRONMAN in the fall, so the impacts should be relatively minor,” Rowe said.
The races are known to garner competitors from across the world, many of whom are from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
“I appreciate everything (Visit PCB) does in relation to this,” Chairman Douglass Moore said of the race. “I actually get to see some old college roommates who are crazy enough to (do) these types of events, as I joke with them.
“I just wanted to make sure that we got this out early … so locals will know it’s coming.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County OKs IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast race route for May 10
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Hundreds of triathletes are slated to flood local streets in just a few weeks.
In a meeting on April 15, Bay County commissioners approved a request from the Bay County Tourist Development Council to use local right-of-ways in the upcoming Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast.
Slated for May 10, the race boasts a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run.
“We have been doing it for over 40 years,” Dan Rowe, president and CEO of Visit PCB, said of the race. “It is a big deal for athletes from around the world coming in to Panama City Beach.”
According to Rowe, the main impacts from the race to Bay County will occur during the bike portion. Both the swim and run portions happen within the city limits of Panama City Beach, while the bike portion extends into unincorporated Bay County.
The swim will take place in the Gulf of Mexico, now referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government, near Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, which is located at 11212 Front Beach Road.
The bike will affect local roads, including Front Beach Road, Philip Griffitts Sr. Parkway and State 79, as well as Pier Park, Gayle’s Trails and Camp Helen State Park
The run will affect local roads, including Front Beach Road, Richard Jackson Boulevard, Alf Coleman Road, Middle Beach Road and Pennel Street.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast is one of two IRONMAN events held every year in Panama City Beach. The other is the full length IRONMAN Florida held in the fall. It includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
“Giving that (the May 10 race) is the half, it runs a lot quicker than the full IRONMAN in the fall, so the impacts should be relatively minor,” Rowe said.
The races are known to garner competitors from across the world, many of whom are from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
“I appreciate everything (Visit PCB) does in relation to this,” Chairman Douglass Moore said of the race. “I actually get to see some old college roommates who are crazy enough to (do) these types of events, as I joke with them.
“I just wanted to make sure that we got this out early … so locals will know it’s coming.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County OKs IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast race route for May 10
