Ironman takes pass on Hilton Head race

The Hilton Head Island Ironman 70.3 triathlon will not be coming to Beaufort County in 2016.

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce director Bill Miles confirmed on Thursday that Ironman had decided not to hold an event here. He said was informed on a conference call with Ironman officials early Thursday.

"They won't be coming," Miles said. "They've selected another location. We do not know what that location is. They are expected to announce that later today or tomorrow from what we've been told."

Recent rumors have centered on a race in Wilmington, N.C., taking the place of a Hilton Head Island event.

"Yeah, that's one of the rumors," Miles said. "We've heard that as well. That is not confirmed. I wouldn't expect them to tell us in advance."

Negotiations between the chamber and Ironman had been ongoing for roughly a year and a half.

The event -- half the distance of a full, 140.6-mile Ironman event -- would have included a 1.2-mile ocean swim at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa in Palmetto Dunes, a 56-mile bike route along U.S. 278 to greater Bluffton and back and a 13.1-mile run to a finish line in the new Shelter Cove Community Park.

The special event permit was approved in September, leaving the signing of a five-year contract as the final milestone to pass. It never happened.

GoTriSports' owner Alfred Olivetti, involved in the courting of the race, said there was one factor that played a big role in keeping Ironman from committing to Hilton Head.

While plans for the race had been moving forward, they did so without the blessing of Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner.

"There's only one reason Ironman expressed that they couldn't do business with Hilton Head -- their disenchantment with law enforcement here, both now and in the future," Olivetti, who spoke with Ironman officials Thursday, said. "Knowing the sheriff could pull the plug in years 2,3,4 and 5, I think the idea that law enforcement didn't want the event here carried throughout the entire process."

Tanner said his only concern during the process was public safety. The sheriff said that, based on his career here, this particular event on this particular course was simply "too big of a challenge" for those roads to handle.

"I would never step in the way of revenues that would result in tax dollars for Beaufort County," Tanner said, "but to shut down the main road in Beaufort County for eight hours is too much.

"If it had come, we would have done the best job that we could do. But I felt early on, instead of being in secret, this should have been vetted in the public since they're the ones that will be inconvenienced."

Tanner pointed out the chaos even a small fender-bender has on traffic on U.S. 278, much less an eight-hour shutdown. The sheriff, who said 240 law enforcement officers, including S.C. Highway Patrol officers, would have been needed to work the event, stressed he doesn't get to be optimistic.

"I have to look at worst-case scenarios," Tanner said. "Our challenges on any given day on that road are tremendous. It would have been a huge undertaking."

Miles said he's unsure what role Tanner's opposition played in Ironman's decision.

"That's a good question and a good question for the Ironman folks," he said. "The support of the sheriff's department is something that is very important to Ironman, as is the safety of the athletes and spectators and visitors as well as the groups involved who are trying to host the event."

A phone call to Steve Meckfessel, Ironman's director of global race operations, was not returned Wednesday.

"Hilton Head Island Town Councilman Bill Harkins, who has long supported bringing the Ironman to the island, said he's disappointed the island has lost out, though he understands that Hilton Head could get another shot at wooing the race in 18 months.

"This a $50 million hit to the town," Harkins said. "We could easily get $10 million a year going through the island with this race. Attitude matters."

Miles was disappointed the combined efforts of numerous groups couldn't bring the race to Hilton Head.

"I think that the collaboration that was garnered in support of the effort by the Town of Hilton Head Island and the Town of Bluffton, along with members of the county council, was certainly very strong," Miles said. "Our partners ... that came on board were very strong in their feelings that it would be a big benefit to Hilton Head Island and the community.

"I'm disappointed for Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort County, as well as the state of South Carolina, that we won't be able to host (the event)."

Reporter Zach Murdock contributed to this story.

Follow sports editor Mike McCombs on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBGsports.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Ironman takes pass on Hilton Head race."