Ready to race: Nearly 2,000 competitors expected to compete in Sandusky Ironman 70.3

SANDUSKY — Saucy Brew Works Sandusky on Water Street received a special beer delivery this week and has stocked its coffee shop in anticipation of a bustling downtown this weekend. The Sandusky Ironman 70.3 will be hosted Sunday, but competitors began arriving Friday in anticipation of the half triathlon. "Everyone I've spoken with shares the same consensus: It'll be a long, rough weekend, but we're ready to show them what Sandusky is all about," Saucy bar manager Alex Spence said. The race will begin at 6 a.m. Sunday at the Jackson Street Pier. Nearly 2,000 competitors will jump into the water from the Carlee Emily, the Kelleys Island ferry. Three or four competitors will enter the water every five seconds and it will take about an hour to get everyone started. After a 1.2-mile swim, the athletes will bike 56 miles on a course that winds into Sandusky County. After that, it's a half marathon (13.1 miles) to the finish line on Columbus Avenue, just steps from Daly's Pub. Daly's owner Dave Bier, who also owns the nearby Landmark Kitchen and Bar and Shore House Tavern, has bumped up his staffing and also will open early for spectators who might want to sample a Bloody Mary or a mimosa. "We're very excited. Anything the city brings downtown is positive for all the businesses," Bier said. "There's more and more every year. Between us and the theater, it will be very interesting watching everyone finish." The race began coming together early in 2021 after Ironman put out a request for proposal on a sports tourism website. Ironman had hosted its Ohio event in Delaware, near Columbus, but was exploring other options. Chris Lewis, marketing & sales director for Shores & Islands Ohio, saw the RFP and got the city of Sandusky involved. "They were looking for new venues to consider for events in 2022 and beyond," Shores & Islands president Larry Fletcher said. "Chris communicated with city of Sandusky officials, who were very interested in exploring the potential of bringing the event here. "That was the start of what ended up being numerous additional communications with Ironman officials and ultimately site visits and other meetings to recruit the event to the region." The city signed a three-year deal for the event and will pay Ironman $25,000 annually to host the race. Ironman regional director Eric Atnip, who has been busy helping organize Ironman Village on the Jackson Street Pier, has been impressed by what he's seen in Sandusky. "Without a doubt, the city's embraced the event," Atnip said. "The city, Shores & Islands, citizens coming out to volunteer and support the event, people we've met on the streets, local businesses, everyone's been great, asking what we need and going above and beyond to try to help us out and make sure we feel at home. "We can always have hiccups, but there's been an overwhelming sense of the support from the community." More than 2,000 athletes registered for the event. Atnip expects about 1,800 to start Sunday's race. A total of 872 of those who registered are from Ohio. That total includes 64 from the Sandusky area. Eighteen countries and 44 states will be represented and athletes range in age from 18 to 78. There are two other Ironman events on Sunday — one in Malaysia and the other in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Lake Placid event will be a full Ironman (140.6 miles) and feature professional triathletes and a $100,000 purse. The Sandusky event will not feature pros, but that could change in the future, Atnip said. "We have some fast age-groupers," he said. "Somebody finishing around the four-hour mark for the whole race is completely reasonable." Athletes gathered in the Ironman Village on Friday and Saturday to pick up race packets and receive instructions. Race announcer Tom Ziebart biked the 56-mile course Friday morning and was impressed with what he saw. "These are, by far, the best roads I've ridden in the Midwest," the Michigan native said. Fletcher estimated that the economic impact, based on similar events, will be $10 million to $15 million in direct and indirect spending. Area law enforcement, EMS squads and members of the Coast Guard and Ohio Department of Natural Resources will work the event. Thousands of spectators are also expected. Fletcher said the Ironman will fill 12,000 room nights in area hotels. He hopes the visitors like what they see. "In a lot of cases, those will be people coming here for the first time," Fletcher said. "As we see with a lot of other large events that draw people to the region from a wide geographical area, it won't be the last time they come here because they'll be exposed to everything here and what an awesome area this is to visit." Weather could be a factor on Sunday. The forecast calls for hot temperatures and a chance of thunderstorms. Ironman partners with AccuWeather, which has a dedicated meteorologist keeping an eye on the course, to keep athletes safe. Timing will be everything if things get nasty. "We basically create a bubble around our course, and they give us a minimum of a half-hour notice for any inclement weather," Atnip said. "If we had inclement weather, we'd delay the race if we had to. "Ultimately, the goal is to have the full race. The safety of the athletes is the most important thing. As things are popping up, we have to make decisions, which is why we partner with all the city services. We talk with them to make sure we're all on the same page." No matter what the weather brings, downtown businesses plan to forge ahead. Like many local businesses, Saucy is opening early this weekend. The coffee shop, featuring locally baked goods, will open at 5 a.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday. The new business on Water Street will also host kegs and eggs events at 9 a.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. "It's gonna be rockin'," said Spence, a lifelong Sandusky resident. "Downtown will not have seen this many people in a long, long time." — Ironman facts What: Sandusky Ironman 70.3 When: Sunday Where: Start/finish in downtown Sandusky (start at Jackson Street Pier; finish on Columbus Avenue) Time: Race starts at 6 a.m.; awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Course: 1.2-mile swim; 56-mile bike; half marathon Coming up: Check out Monday's Register for complete coverage of the race.