Ironman 70.3 race to move forward despite sheriff's concerns
Local leaders say they will move forward with plans to host an Ironman 70.3 triathlon on Hilton Head Island and in greater Bluffton despite Sheriff P.J. Tanner's concerns about public safety and emergency access during the event.
The current proposal would bring an Ironman 70.3 triathlon -- half a full Ironman event -- to Hilton Head each fall for five years, beginning in late October 2016. The race would be on a Sunday from about 7:30 a.m. to early afternoon.
On Tuesday morning, Tanner voiced his concerns once more to elected leaders from the county, Bluffton and Hilton Head and officials from the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
"If I had the ability to veto this, I would do so," Tanner said. "Because I know what the impact is going to be on this route, or quite frankly, any route for this type of competition dealing with (U.S.) 278."
"It's almost as if Ironman can't have it their way, then they don't want it all," he continued.
Tanner has repeatedly challenged leaders to consider "the worst case scenario" about public safety and inconvenience during the race, but his concerns have not changed other leaders' minds.
Elected officials are still unanimously in favor of the event, and they defended its estimated infusion into the local economy again Tuesday.
"It's too important for our community not to embrace something like this," said Hilton Head Island Town Councilman Lee Edwards, who is also a triathlete. "Not only is it a big economic driver, but these are the type people you want visiting. It's a big PR bonanza for our area. I just think it's a really fantastic event."
Despite Tanner's concerns, chamber and town officials now say they intend to move forward with finalizing a route that uses U.S. 278 on Hilton Head and in greater Bluffton for the 56-mile bike ride portion of the swim, bike and run race.
That course will send the bike riders up U.S. 278 from the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa in Palmetto Dunes, where they begin the triathlon with a 1.2-mile ocean swim.
Riders will stay on the westbound lanes of the highway while on the island until Gumtree Road, when they would shift to the eastbound lanes of the highway.
Participants would then follow the eastbound lanes until just before the entrance to St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Bluffton. They would then return to Jenkins Road, near Windmill Harbour, before "doubling back" to turnaround point for one last lap on U.S. 278 to return to Palmetto Dunes. There they transition again to begin a 13.1-mile running portion of the race around the island's north end with a finish line at Shelter Cove Town Centre.
That course mitigates the affect of the race on the gated communities north of U.S. 278, which had been among Tanner's principal concerns, town and chamber officials say.
Tanner is still unhappy with the plans, but he said he will provide law enforcement to secure the race route if the chamber and local governments decide to host it.
"Sheriff, you've hammered home the public inconvenience standpoint. I appreciate that, I think we all have that understanding," Hilton Head Mayor David Bennett said at the meeting. "The question is, are we prepared to do that on behalf of our community or not? And what are we getting if we decide to head down the path toward inconvenience?"
Local leaders and chamber officials agree that inconvenience will be worth the dividends, and they equate it to the annual RBC Heritage presented by Boeing.
Now Hilton Head Island town staff will consider a special event application to host the race, town manager Steve Riley said. Tanner will not sign off on the application, however, because he says he does not want to endorse the plan, even though he will provide law enforcement for the event.
Without that required endorsement, town staff might take the permit to Town Council for a formal vote to make an exception for the Ironman plans, Riley said.
The chamber has compiled the application -- using the route along U.S. 278 -- with Ironman officials, who approve of the plan, they have said.
Once the special application is complete, the chamber will sign a formal contract with Ironman, hopefully in the coming weeks, chamber director Bill Miles indicated.
Follow reporter Zach Murdock on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach and on Facebook at facebook.com/IPBGZach.
- Tuesday morning meeting to discuss Ironman 70.3 triathlon on Hilton Head, June 22, 2015
- Sheriff, Ironman supporters running in circles to create new race route, May 28, 2015
- 'Clock is ticking' to seal deal for Hilton Head Ironman, race leader says, May 22, 2015
- Long-secret Hilton Head Ironman plans come to light as race route divides leaders, sheriff + survey, May 21, 2015
This story was originally published June 23, 2015 at 8:33 AM with the headline "Ironman 70.3 race to move forward despite sheriff's concerns."