major national sporting event is being planned for October 2011 in the Pocono Mountains.
“Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains” will include a 1.2-mile swim in the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach, followed by a 56-mile bike through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and a 13.1-mile run, which will end in Stroudsburg. The total distance is 70.3 miles.
Although maps are not finalized, the proposed course will likely take participants through parts of Saylorsburg, Cherry Valley and Smithfield and Coollbaugh townships.
Ironman is the most globally recognized brand in the endurance sports industry.
The world championship Ironman 70.3 is held annually in Clearwater, Fla. The world championship full distance Ironman, 140.6 miles, is held in Hawaii. Participants must qualify for championships by participating in other Ironman events.
The Pocono event will be produced by a partnership between the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and Philadelphia Triathlon LLC.
Philadelphia Triathlon has exclusive license to own and operate Ironman 70.3 events from World Triathlon Corporation.
The bureau had been searching for an event that would highlight outdoor recreation in the Poconos.
“People who come to this event will have a better understanding of what the Poconos are all about,” said Carl Wilgus of the bureau.
Participants are expected to number 1,500. That would make the event bigger than the 2010 Run for the Red Marathon and half marathon which brought in around 1,300 runners in May.
“This event changes the culture of the people who live in the community,” Wilgus said. Locals participate or get involved in another way, and the event becomes part of their lives.
A contract will keep “Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains” in the area for at least four years, according to the bureau.
A website promoting the event will launch in September.
Organizers have been planning the Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains for about six months and are now finalizing plans by seeking approval from the municipalities that will host a portion of the event.
Stroudsburg Borough Council approved the event this week. Philadelphia Triathlon offered Stroudsburg $10,000 to help with the costs of hosting the event.
Once details are firmed up, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau will release official maps and other information.
Should be an interesting / challenging course if this comes to pass.
Anyone know what the Delaware River is like for swimming up there? If Ironman 70.3 Marcus Hook was announced tomorrow, I’d throw up in my mouth a little bit. I’m guessing that the Delaware is somewhat-to-much-nicer that far up?
yeah, its better up there. the article makes it sound like it will be north of the Water Gap. that puts it above most factories. more importantly its above all the open sewer run-off.
i’m in. october in the poconos should be nice and chilly.
This sounds like it could take away participants from Syracuse? NEPA/Central NY aren’t all that far away from each other. But hey, another closer race for NYers!
October is awfully late though, I’m usually done with tri training and have switched to running by then.
Very cool! Close to home. I never imagined it, but it makes sense with it’s proximity to NYC and Philly. It has the potential to be a very challenging course. I hope the October date is incorrect, as the temps there are wildly variable, especially to the cold side.
Regarding Eburger’s question, the Delaware north of Port Jervis, NY is known as one of the best trout fishing rivers in the east so the water quality has to be exceptional.
I am originally from that area and my first triathlon was in Jim Thorpe in 1983 and did Wilkes Barre many times before we moved to Florida. Stroudsburg hosted the Tour Dupont in the early 90’s and it is hilly . I probably will go up and do that race because it will be a great site.
They keep saying the swim course is only for reference and they havent finalized it yet… but that 1/2 mile run from exit to T1 doesnt look like fun at all to me. Hope they can do something about that…
Hopefully that bizarre figure-8 is well marked… But since I am sure to be well in the thick of the MOP, I dont think I have to worry about anything
Not much you can do on the swim. You will either have a long walk to start the race or you will have a long walk/run to T1. The river is only so wide and you are really pretty much doing the around .8 Miles or more length wise. Maybe they can add in a dozen buoys and have people zig-zag across the river to shorten the distance.
Given the amount of time they have had to “plan” this race, it seems like a pretty much “forced” course, and to still be fiddling with the course 3 months out?
I can understand if roads that were supposed to be batched weren’t, there was damage over the winter, etc., but that does not seem like the case.
One other fair warning. Looking at T1 and T2 and just having been through this area, not sure if they will be running shuttle buses to the start, but I am thinking that this will be more like Timberman and long waits than Longhorn, which though separate Transition areas, was really just a couple miles and really along 1 road.
Funny thing I noticed on the bike course which is a REAL CLUSTER F^&(K…
Did you see the junction of Keiser Rd and Haney Rd???
You either have traffic crossing over returning traffic (i.e. you stay to the right on Haney) and are crossing the path of returning cyclists heading to Manor (or they are crossing you) or if you have people riding on the opposite (left side of the road) on Haney, the map then forces a cross over on the Bush Lane loop.
What the F???
Now that can be resolved by having you ride on the left side of the road and taking a Left onto Bush instead of the Left on Keller, but the direction arrow on the map shows the opposite.