JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A global sporting challenge is arriving in Jacksonville this Saturday, but local residents and businesses say they have been left in the dark about major disruptions.
The upcoming Ironman triathlon will bring athletes from around the world to swim, bike, and run through the city and into northeastern St. Johns County. However, in the historic Riverside neighborhood, preparations have had residents asking questions.
On the streets of Riverside, there is little to no signage advertising the massive race. Instead, the first indicator for many residents was the sudden appearance of a massive transition tent in Memorial Park and a few signs at the park entrance from the city.
“I was looking out the window from my condo, saw this huge tent going up in the park, and thought, ‘What’s going on?’” said Riverside resident Norma Hawara.
While Hawara is used to neighborhood events, she was stunned to learn the scale of this weekend’s traffic disruptions. “I didn’t know anything about the road closures here. In fact, I didn’t know part of it was even going to be here in Memorial Park.”
At Sunday Spa Shop in Riverside, management is trying to figure out how staff and clients will navigate the area.
“We have no preparation in place so far, but it should be interesting,” said shop manager Hannah Poole. She started to work on a plan as the marathon will be just feet away from the shop. With JSO not sure what time the road closures will happen it will be difficult to prepare.
“I think that they could have given small businesses, or just businesses in general, more of a heads-up,” she said.
The race structure means neighborhood access will be restricted for most of the day. Elite competitors and can take 12 hours or more to finish the course.
“It seems like it’s going to be a long time for the road closures as they’re running 26 miles,” noted Gertrude Hetzel.
The grueling race begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday with a 4,000-yard swim in the St. Johns River. Athletes will transition at Memorial Park to begin a 112-mile bike ride stretching across the region. The event concludes back at the park for a grueling 26.2-mile marathon.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) declined an interview but issued guidance for residents. Officials stated that while traffic will be heavily impacted throughout Saturday, roadways will not be closed for the entire duration of the event.
Police plan to move traffic through intersections whenever gaps in the race allow. JSO is asking drivers for patience and urges residents to monitor their social media channels for real-time road closure updates on Saturday.
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