Ironman Comes To Sonoma County: Motorists Advised Of Road Closures

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- IRONMAN Santa Rosa, a qualifying event for triathletes seeking to compete in the IRONMAN World Championships, will be held Saturday in Sonoma County. The swimming portion of the triathlon is at Lake Sonoma, while the running and cycling portions take competitors on routes in and around Santa Rosa, including Rohnert Park.

According to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the event Saturday will result in some road closures in the northwest part of the city. Motorists can expect delays Saturday on Golf Course Drive, Commerce Boulevard and Redwood Drive as the bicycle course winds its way through the area.

The Highway 101 southbound offramp at Golf Course Drive will be closed from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday; southbound traffic is encouraged to use Rohnert Park Expressway to make their way into Rohnert Park, public safety officials said. Also between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Commerce Boulevard from Golf Course Drive north to Redwood Drive will be closed in both directions, as will northbound Redwood Drive from Commerce Boulevard to Dowdell Avenue.

Public safety officials say Golf Course Drive will be open in all lanes, with access to onramps of Highway 101 as normal. Northtbound Golf Course Drive offramp from 101 will also be open as normal.

To view maps of the swim, run and bike routes, click here.

From the Ironman website, here's more about Ironman Santa Rosa:

Staged in beautiful Sonoma County and traversing through quaint communities like Geyersville and Healdsburg, IRONMAN Santa Rosa draws not only triathletes, but their wine and food loving family and support crews back every year. The event is a ticket into the heart of the world-famous wine regions of the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and once you're there, you won't want to leave. There are B&Bs and boutique hotel options to suit every budget, as well as thousands of wineries, craft breweries, and farm-to-table restaurants for pre-race fueling and post-race celebrations. The race also offers a springboard for vacation itineraries including the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz mountains, and coastal redwood forests.

The split transition race begins at Lake Sonoma, nestled in the beautiful mountains of Northern California. The 2.4-mile swim is a two-loop course taking place in the calm, clean Lake Sonoma. Athletes will transition to their bikes, setting out on the 112-mile course featuring gentle rollers as they ride through famous wine country and quaint towns. The City of Santa Rosa hosts transition two where athletes will begin a tree-lined, two-loop marathon along the Santa Rosa Creek trail. The finish line will take place at the new Courthouse Square park ideally located in downtown in Santa Rosa where great food and wine can be enjoyed by all spectators.

Preserving the best parts of the iconic IRONMAN Vineman event and improving the overall athlete experience, the course, which is less than 10 miles from the original venue, is a tour of Sonoma County's beautiful wine country and pastoral countryside, passing through famous grape growing regions including: the Russian River Valley Region, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley.

The 2017 IRONMAN Santa Rosa will offer 40 qualifying slots to the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.