CLEARWATER, Fla.- The Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 takes place Saturday, Nov. 11, starting at 7 a.m. The race will begin and end at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. The swim, bike, and run event will impact Pinellas County traffic and beach parking. Remote parking will be available and event shuttles will run throughout the day.
Shuttles
Shuttles will run continuously from 4 a.m. until 6 p.m. on race day.
Parking
The Pier 60 lot will be closed Nov. 7 - Nov. 12. The South Gulfview Boulevard north lot will be closed Nov. 6 - Nov. 13. The Marina lot will close at 6 a.m. on race day. The South Gulfview Boulevard South lot and the Sand Key lots are open all week but are expected to fill up early on race day. Volunteers and spectators are encouraged to park in downtown Clearwater and take the shuttles. Downtown parking includes City Hall, 112 S. Osceola Ave., county surface lots around the Courthouse, and the Municipal Services Garage, 100 S. Myrtle Ave.
Traffic
Cones will be laid along the race route starting at midnight the night before the race. Lane and road closures on the race route begin at 5 a.m. on race day. Drivers will not be allowed to go south of the roundabout, but can go north of the roundabout. Cars will be allowed to exit the north end of the beach via the roundabout but traffic delays are expected. Full road closures include the following:
Drivers should use the Belleair Causeway and Sand Key Bridge to get to locations south of the roundabout and will need to go via the Belleair Causeway to get back to the mainland from South Beach. Since the race route does not affect U.S. 19, it should be used as the main north-south route on race day. Residents should plan to leave the beach before 6:30 a.m. The Courtney Campbell Causeway is part of the bike routé and will have one lane of traffic in each direction for bikes and one for cars. The rules of road apply: bikes have right-of-way on the course. Comprehensive race course and event related information can be found at www.myclearwater.com/ironman or at call the hotline at 562-INFO (4636).