Ironman Lake Placid takes place on July 20; road closures announced

10 Jul Ironman Lake Placid takes place on July 20; road closures announced

Community liaison to assist during race training and event

The 26th Ironman Lake Placid will take place on Sunday, July 20; its course is defined along roads throughout Lake Placid, Keene, Jay, Upper Jay, and Wilmington. There will be a number of road closures throughout these communities.

The public should expect road closures and associated traffic delays beginning shortly after 5:00 a.m. that day. Traffic pattern changes and delays will impact communities along the bike and run course. 

In Lake Placid/North Elba: 

• Cummings Rd. will be closed from 4:00 a.m. until midnight.
• Mirror Lake Dr. from Northwood Rd. to Main St. in Lake Placid – closed from 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m on the 21st.
• Northwood Rd. from Rt. 86 to Mirror Lake Dr. – closed southbound from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Parkside Dr. in Lake Placid – closed from Mirror Lake Dr. to Main St. from 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m on the 21st.
• Colden Ave., School St., and Mill Pond Dr. from Colden to Main St. – closed from 5:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. 
• Main St. from the Post Office to Station St. – closed from 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m on the 21st.
• Rt. 73 from Mill Pond Dr. to River Rd. – closed from 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m on the 21st.
• River Rd. – closed from 11:00 a.m. until midnight.
• Bobsled Run Lane – closed in both directions from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. 

Parking will not be permitted overnight on Saturday, July 19 on Mirror Lake Dr. in front of the tennis courts, nor on Parkside Dr. from Main St. to Mirror Lake Dr. Parking on Main St. from Parkside Dr. near the post office south is also prohibited overnight on Saturday, July19.

Outside Lake Placid:

• Road closures (Route 86) southbound to Lake Placid from Wilmington and Jay 7:00 a.m.  until 6:30 p.m.
• Route 9N closed northbound from Keene to Jay from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 
• Stickney Bridge Rd. – closed northbound from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. There will be no vehicular traffic allowed on Stickney Bridge itself in either direction during this time.
• Route 9N southbound – closed from Stickney Bridge Rd. to the Route 86 intersection from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
• Bilhuber Rd. will be closed to traffic from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
• Haselton Rd. will remain open from Bilhuber Rd. to the Town of Black Brook. No vehicle travel south of Bilhuber Rd. will be permitted until 4:00 p.m.
• Route 73 south/eastbound from Lake Placid to Keene begins at 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 

Notice to residents and businesses along Wilmington Rd: Runner traffic will continue until midnight.

A list of traffic detours and road closures, along with the course route, can be found at ironman.com/im-lake-placid-course.

Again this year, Ironman Lake Placid organizers have established a community liaison to assist businesses and community members with questions related to race training and travel throughout the region, along with addressing specific race-day issues. 

The community liaison is the primary point of contact regarding road closures, traffic delays and other inquiries or concerns. Working with race officials and other local agencies will allow them to quickly mitigate any issues that arise. Residents and community members are encouraged to reach out to the Ironman community liaison for assistance before and during the race via email at IMLakePlacidCommunity@ironman.com or by phone at 888-497-5009.

According to Ironman Lake Placid Race Director Greg Borzilleri, the community liaison will work closely with the local community to ensure coordination, provide timely information and address any questions that may arise. “The community liaison position was established three years ago and has proven to be extremely successful in assisting businesses and community members,” he said. 

Recognizing the impact of a large-scale event like Ironman Lake Placid, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) led a task force in 2021 to address community concerns, improve safety and logistics and establish ways to communicate more effectively with community members and race participants. The task force evolved, becoming known as the event committee, and remains in place to support the Ironman event.

According to ROOST Chief Operating Officer Mary Jane Lawrence, the event committee meets before and after the event to review opportunities for continued improvement. “We recognize that improvement is a continual process,” she said. “The group meets post-race, as well, to review the event and consider additional recommendations based on feedback from athletes, volunteers, businesses and community officials.”