JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Ironman Triathlon wrapped up a busy weekend in Jacksonville, drawing nearly 2,000 athletes from around the world.
Many competitors and organizers praised the River City as a host, but some local officials, businesses, and residents say race-day traffic and safety concerns caused major headaches.
A big part of the race was in St. Johns County, where athletes biked 112 miles through areas like Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach.
St. Johns County Commissioner Krista Joseph said that she appreciated the athletes and families who participated, but had major concerns after Saturday’s event.
Joseph went to Facebook and posted this feedback:
“The BCC (Board of County Commissioners) did not vote on this Jacksonville event. I can tell you all right now, after sitting in traffic for 3 hours and watching the close calls of car vs golf cart vs bikers that approval for something National like this needs to come to the BCC. Not only did I just get off the phone with the County Administrator and she was unaware of this event but also conveyed my concerns to the Sheriff.”
Those traffic concerns were echoed by businesses in Five Points, where Riverside served as a major transition zone from swimming to biking, so there were plenty of closures.
Mayor Donna Deegan addressed the traffic, acknowledging frustrations and saying city leaders will work to improve communication.
“I know some people have been a little upset about some of the traffic issues,” Deegan said. “Events like this are always going to be a little disruptive for one day. But the return on investment we get for that is tremendous… we’ll try our best to make sure we’re communicating.”
Business owners and employees along Park Street told News4JAX they supported hosting a major event but felt overlooked by the closure plan, saying customers canceled appointments, workers arrived hours late and parking became difficult for staff and visitors.
“Nobody really knew what to do because we thought that it was going to be a lane impact, and it was the entire street,” Five Points employee Taylor Johnson said. “So like they had the whole thing blocked off, so I know like they were people that were basically just hanging outside and not really knowing what to do.”
Johnson added that some customers and employees were forced to park farther away.
“I know a lot of people didn’t like it because they had to park really far away… it’s a little unsafe to have to walk so far,” Johnson said.
Bryan Dewberry said his tattoo shop business was dead all weekend.
“We’ve been here for 40 years in town, we have had five customers,” Dewberry said. “I like that the city is making money but I need to survive more that the city does or at least as much.”
On social media, residents and business advocates voiced similar frustrations and urged more advance notice and clearer detour routes.
The Mayor’s Office shared the following statement:
“Jacksonville made history this weekend, as nearly 2,000 athletes from 39 countries and across the United States descended on our city for the first-ever IRONMAN Jacksonville. Hosting one of the most prestigious endurance brands in the world is a major win for our city.
What these athletes showed us during the competition was nothing short of extraordinary. Every athlete who participated showed us their perseverance, grit and determination to excel on the world stage.
This successful event reflects exactly what Jacksonville is capable of. We are a world-class city, and IRONMAN chose us because of that. We benefit from the tremendous economic impact, the global exposure, the energy on our riverfront, and the pride on the faces of athletes crossing that finish line. We have a three-year commitment to this exciting event, and we intend to honor it by getting better every year IRONMAN Jacksonville comes to town. That means celebrating what worked and being honest about what could have been done better.
We are committed to a smoother experience for everyone next year, and are already in conversations with IRONMAN organizers, JSO, and city staff to conduct a full after-action review to make sure traffic and safety concerns are meaningfully addressed.
We are grateful to the IRONMAN organization, to Visit Jacksonville, to our Office of Sports and Entertainment, to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, and the countless city staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event a success.”
News4JAX also met with Deegan on Monday.
“Listen, we’re talking about one day of inconvenience which was broadcast by your organization [News4JAX] and all the others. By electronic signs and neighborhood notifications. And the people I heard from in Riverside were thrilled they were able to sit out and watch these things,” Deegan said.
Deegan said there will be meetings to address all of the concerns.
“We’ll make tweaks and I’ll tell you some of the incidents I’ve heard about in the biking and some of the cases where bicyclists were struck concerns me deeply,” Deegan said.
News4JAX received an email from a woman who said her daughter was a competitor and was struck by a car, but didn’t have major injuries.
“The traffic nightmare is completely eclipsed by the outright dangerous conditions that Jacksonville exposed my daughter and every other athlete to,” she wrote.