As Ironman 70.3 at Augusta organizers begin to prep for the big race this weekend, locals and competitors can look forward to a few new changes impacting this year's event.
The annual triathlon involves swimming, bicycling and running. In years past, competitors swam 1.2 miles of the Savannah River, starting at Riverfront Marina near Sixth Street traveling east to the Augusta Rowing Complex on Riverfront Drive.
This year, the previous swim start is now the swim finish. The swim start will be located at SRP Park near the Sharon Jones Amphitheater and competitors will swim 1.2 miles to just past the Riverfront Marina, according to the Augusta Sports Council.
Instead of transitioning from the public boat ramp to the next leg, competitors will get out just off the riverwalk and head down to the new transition lot at the Train Depot at 509 Reynolds St.
"We've had the transition basically in the same area over the years," said Troy Fitzgerald, race director for Ironman 70.3 at Augusta. "We received feedback that athletes tend to like a paved lot more than a grass lot during the transition, so we pushed the swim up the river and were able to utilize SRP Park in North Augusta. It's something fresh that I think the athletes can get excited about."
The sports council said the Ironman group and volunteers have been working diligently to ensure the area competitors are going to be swimming through is clear and safe, even utilizing divers.
Ironman also partnered with the Augusta Rowing Club to install an extended dock for competitors to jump off of – to put swimmers further into the middle of the river, rather than close to either one of the banks.
Other than the new transition spot, the cycling route will remain a 56-mile loop traveling toward Hephzibah and back to the downtown area.
The 13.1-mile running course will now showcase almost all of the riverwalk, but remain on the same roads through downtown Augusta.
"There might be a little bit more impact on the 13th Street Bridge, but outside of that, it's the same roads that were closed in the past," Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said the 9 month planning process enabled organizers to showcase more of North Augusta.
"About a year out, we debrief on the race – what can be better and whatnot," he said. "As soon as January or February, we're already reaching out and coming up with how to make the race better and a plan of attack on how to coordinate everything."
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