The Ironman is Here

Boulder is best known for beautiful scenery, amazingly close access for everything outdoors, and of course, an extremely health conscious population. Part of the reason people flock to Boulder is for the health minded, adventurous live style. To add to the ambiance of Boulder, this Sunday, August 2^nd, Boulder will be hosting the Ironman 70.3. The race consists of three parts, beginning with a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and finishing with a marathon (26.2 mile) run.

2014 Ironman along the BCP. Photo credit: Andrew Hyde

For the Boulder Ironman, the swimming portion will take place in the Boulder Reservoir located in far North Boulder. Athletes will begin on the South side of the lake, complete a loop around the lake, and will finish on the South side. Once finished, the athletes will transition to the biking portion of the competition. The bike course is a multi-loop course throughout North Boulder. The first loop will take the competitors west into the foothills along Highway 36, along Highway 66, and back South into neighborhoods located North of the reservoir. The second loop will take athletes onto a flatter section east of the reservoir, along the Diagonal Highway, and will eventually loop around to the finish west of Highway 36 on Arapahoe Ave.

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Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (Oct. 15, 2005) – Almost 2,000 triathletes begin the 2.4-mile swim at the Ironman World Championship triathlon, held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Four Navy participants completed the triathlon. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist Deborah Carson (RELEASED)

Here, athletes will transition to the final portion of the competition, a staggering 26.2 mile run which will take place mostly on the Boulder Creek Path (BCP) and consists of two loops that follow the same trail. The first portion of the run follows the BCP east towards Foothills and south towards Colorado Ave. from here, the course loops back along the same path, and takes athletes north towards Pearl Street. The course continues back along the BCP, taking the athletes just north of Eben G. Fine Park. After completing two loops on this course, the athletes will cross the finish line at 13^th and Pearl.

Photo credit: Lance Cpl. Sarah Wolff

Since the Ironman takes place in the heart of Boulder, it is expected to draw a large crowd. Spectators will be able to cheer athletes throughout each portion of the race; however, the most spectator friendly event will be the running portion. Details for how and where to watch can be found on the official Ironman 70.3 site:

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/detail.aspx?race=Boulder&y=2015#axzz3hX8ltcEh