The Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley returns to Centre County on Sunday, June 14, and for the first time in the event’s four-year history it will serve as the North American Championship and a stop on the global Pro Series circuit.
More than 1,700 amateur athletes, along with dozens more in a highly competitive professional field, have registered for the sold-out triathlon. Participants will come from 44 states and 43 countries and range in age from 18 to 80.
They’ll be competing for the North American Championship title, a larger professional prize purse of $75,000 and more age group qualifying opportunities for the World Championship, which will be held Sept. 12 in Nice, France. Hosting both the North American Championship and a Pro Series event elevates the Happy Valley race “to one of the premier stops on the global triathlon calendar,” according to Ironman.
Unchanged from last year is the route. As in the past, the triathlon will start at 7 a.m. with a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Lake at Bald Eagle State Park.
The second leg is a 56-mile bike race that heads north into Mill Hall before turning south, making its way over Hubler Ridge to Pleasant Gap, going over the mountain and descending to Centre Hall, then heading through Linden Hall and Lemont toward State College and making a final turn north to the Penn State campus.
Completing the half-Ironman (at 73.3 miles it is half the length of a full Ironman) is a two-lap, 13.1-mile run through campus ending at Beaver Stadium.
Motorists should be aware of the following traffic impacts — including road closures, closures with local access only and event traffic conditions — and use alternate routes when possible.
BIKE COURSE TRAFFIC IMPACTS (All times are for Sunday, June 14 unless otherwise noted)
• Commuter Drive – From Curtin Road to Dauer Road – CLOSED – 6 a.m. 6/13 to 6 p.m. 6/14
• Curtin Road – From University Drive to Porter Road – CLOSED – 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Bald Eagle State Park – From Route 150/Eagle Valley Road to Old Route 220 – CLOSED – 6:50 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Route 150/Eagle Valley Road (Eastbound) – From Main Park Road to Beech Creek Avenue – EVENT TRAFFIC – 7:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Beech Creek Avenue – From Route 150/Eagle Valley Road to Water Street – CLOSED (LOCAL ACCESS ONLY) – 6:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Water Street (Southbound) – From Beech Creek Avenue to Jacksonville Road – EVENT TRAFFIC – 7:15 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Jacksonville Road (Westbound) – From Water Street to Hubler Ridge Road – EVENT TRAFFIC – 7:20 a.m. to noon
• Hubler Ridge Road (Southbound) – From Jacksonville Road to Nittany Valley Drive/Route 64 – EVENT TRAFFIC – 7:45 a.m. to noon
• Nittany Valley Drive/Route 64/ College Ave. (Westbound) – From Hubler Ridge Road to Harrison Road – EVENT TRAFFIC – 7:50 a.m. to noon
• Harrison Road – From College Avenue/ Route 26 to Main Street/Route 144 – CLOSED (LOCAL ACCESS ONLY) – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Main Street/Route 144/ Pennsylvania Ave. (Southbound) – From Sunset Avenue to Black Bear Drive – CLOSED (LOCAL ACCESS ONLY) – 8:10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Route 144/Pennsylvania Ave. – From Black Bear Drive to Church Street – CLOSED – 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Route 144/Pennsylvania Ave (Northbound) – From Church Street to Kelly Street – CLOSED (LOCAL ACCESS ONLY) – 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Church Street/Upper Brush Valley Road (Westbound) – From Route 144/Pennsylvania Ave. to Linden Hall Road – EVENT TRAFFIC – 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Boalsburg Road (Northbound) – From Linden Hall Road to Branch Road – EVENT TRAFFIC – 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Access to Boalsburg Road from Nittany Orchards Neighborhood is CLOSED. Detour to Whitehill & Berry.
• Branch Road (South & Northbound) – From Boalsburg Road to South Atherton Street – EVENT TRAFFIC – 8:40 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Country Club Road – From East College Avenue to Branch Road – CLOSED (LOCAL & CLUB ACCES ONLY) – 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• University Drive (Northbound) – From South Atherton Street to Easterly Parkway – EVENT TRAFFIC – 8:40 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• University Drive (Northbound) – From Easterly Parkway to College Avenue – CLOSED (LOCAL ACCESS ONLY) – 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• University Drive – From East College Avenue to Park Avenue – CLOSED – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• E.College Ave. (Westbound) – University Drive On-Ramp – CLOSED – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
RUN COURSE TRAFFIC IMPACT — UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS (All times for Sunday, June 14)
• Curtin Road – From University Drive to Porter Road – CLOSED – 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Curtin Road – From North Atherton Street to University Drive – CLOSED – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• University Drive – From Park Avenue to East College Avenue – CLOSED – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Hastings Road – From McKean Road to University Drive – CLOSED – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• McKean Road – From Shortlidge Road to Bigler Road – CLOSED – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mifflin Road – From McKean Road to Pollock Road – CLOSED – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Pollock Road – From Mifflin Road to North Burrowes Road – CLOSED – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• West Campus Drive – From North Patterson Street to North Barnard Street – CLOSED – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Shortlidge Road – From Curtin Road to Pollock Road – CLOSED – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CAMPUS PARKING CLOSURES – NO ACCESS IN OR OUT
A section of Stadium West near Gate B at Beaver Stadium and the north section of Jordan East were closed beginning June 9 and will remain closed through Tuesday, June 16.
Sunday, June 14:
- Brown B
- Brown E
- Green C
- Orange L (Multi-Sport Facility and Bryce Jordan Center back lot sections)
- Red H
- Silver B (all sections)
- Silver G
- Silver J (all sections)
- Silver N
- Yellow E (both sections)
- Yellow H (all sections except by the Nittany Lion Softball Park)
- Yellow L
- Yellow R
- Lot 42
CAMPUS PARKING LIMITED ACCESS (Single entrance/exit on Bigler Road at Curtin Road. Entry and exit will only permitted when possible for vehicles to cross safely between event participants.)
Sunday, June 14:
- Yellow F (Eisenhower Deck and surface lot)
- Yellow S
- Yellow T (Pollock section)
- Lot 22
- Lot 81
Lot 82 (McKean/Pennypacker section) will only be accessible via Park Avenue.
Penn State is encouraging permit holders who need to park on campus on Sunday to use the East, HUB, Nittany and West decks.
“A single crossing to access Eisenhower Deck and other areas inside the running route will be maintained on Bigler Road at Curtin Road,” according to Penn State Transportation Se
