The Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 will bring visitors to Sand Key this weekend. The event takes place Saturday morning in Clearwater Beach, and the Harborview Center and Sheraton Sand Key Resort are hosting pre and post race activities.
The race begins and ends at Pier 60 consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run, will start and finish at Pier 60.
High surf and possible rip currents in the Gulf have closed parts of Clearwater Beach.
Yesterday, buoys were supposed to be placed for the swim portion of the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 but dangerous waters did not allow for it. The Ironman staff is meeting this morning to determine whether the swim should be moved from the Gulf of Mexico to the Intracoastal.
The Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship is Saturday, with 1800 competitors traversing Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and East Lake.
The race will begin and end at Pier 60, beginning at 6:45 am and lasting about 7.5 hours. There will be a 1.2 mile swim on Clearwater Beach followed by a 56 mile bike course on the Memorial Causeway Bridge, Drew St, Countryside Blvd, McMullen-Booth Rd, East Lake Rd, Bayside Bridge, Roosevelt Blvd, Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. It will be capped off with a 13.1 mile run through Clearwater Beach, downtown Clearwater, and Harbor Oaks.
The swim can be watched from Pier 60, and the bike and run can be best veiwed from the courthouse and the causeway. Parking in downtown Clearwater is recommended, there will be shuttles available for spectators.
Police will be present to help drivers at traffic signals along the route. At intersections without signals, bikes have the right of way on the course.
Starting 3 a.m. Saturday, drivers won't be permitted south of the Clearwater Beach roundabout. People needing access to and from the south Clearwater Beach will need to use the Belleair Causeway. There will also be delays at the following intersections, most will be blocked during the race.
• Coronado Dr at the roundabout, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• MLK Jr. Ave and Court St, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Drew St and Keene Rd, 7:15 to 9:30 a.m.
• Drew St and Belcher Rd, 7:15 to 10 a.m.
• Countryside Blvd and SR 580, 7:15 to 9:45 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Curlew roads, 7:30 to 11:15 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Keystone roads, 8 to 11 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Enterprise roads, 8:15 to 11:30 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth Rd and Drew St, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth Rd and Roosevelt Blvd, 8:30 a.m. to noon.
• East Bay Dr and Belcher Rd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• Belcher and Belleair roads, 8:45 to 12:15 p.m.
• Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Gulf-to-Bay Blvd to Clearwater Beach, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Medians along East Lake Rd between Tampa Rd and Trinity Blvd will be closed.
