Ironman race officials said on Wednesday that they are monitoring air quality conditions in Centre County and are optimistic Sunday’s inaugural Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley will go forward as planned.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has deteriorated air quality throughout Pennsylvania this week. The entire commonwealth is under a Code Red alert indicating air pollution levels will be unhealthy for everyone through at least Thursday, when conditions could reach the Code Purple range for very unhealthy air quality in some areas, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Forecasts indicate, however, that conditions may improve beginning on Friday, when the currently predicted Air Quality Index for the State College area is moderate, according to AirNow.gov.
Further relief is possible on Saturday, according to a DEP news release.
“Ironman has strict safety benchmarks in place for air quality, which must meet a specific standard for race day,” organizers wrote in a statement provided to StateCollege.com. “To ensure this standard is met, Ironman will be working with public safety officials continuously to ensure the air quality level is deemed safe.”
Race officials did not indicate what that standard is, but said current forecasts suggest the triathlon will be go as scheduled on Sunday.
“At this time, Ironman officials are moving forward with plans to conduct Sunday’s event based upon current weather and smoke forecasts provided by public safety officials,” the statement said.
If any changes become necessary, they will be communicated through the event website and Facebook page.
An Ironman 70.3 scheduled for last weekend in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec — where dozens of wildfires are raging in the same Canadian province — was canceled because of air quality
The years-in-the-making Happy Valley triathlon is expected to draw thousands to Centre County this weekend, with approximately 2,700 competing.
The Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley is half the distance of a full Ironman triathlon. It is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Sunday with the 1.2 mile swim in Sayers Lake at Bald Eagle State Park, followed by a 56-mile bicycling route through Centre and Clinton counties. The final leg is a 13.1-mile run on Penn State’s campus that concludes at the 50-yard line of Beaver Stadium.
