Here are road closures and traffic updates for the Ironman 70.3 Oregon happening on July 20 in Salem.
Ironman 70.3 Oregon is returning to Salem for its fifth year on July 20.
The event will bring more than 2,500 athletes, 700 volunteers and spectators to Riverfront Park. The competition features athletes of all ages, both professional and amateur.
The course, which spotlights the natural beauty of Salem and the Willamette Valley, is praised for its scenery.
Competitors start with a 1.2-mile swim in the Willamette River then hit the road for a 56-mile bike route that takes riders to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge and finishes with a 13.1-mile run in Minto-Brown Island Park. The finish line is at the Gerry Frank Salem Rotary Amphitheater in Riverfront Park.
Ironman 70.3 Oregon was voted the third-best run course globally and was the second-most frequented and recommended course in North America, per Ironman 70.3 Athletes’ 2024 Choice Awards.
The event is hosted by Travel Salem, the city of Salem, Travel Oregon, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association and Sport Oregon. It is estimated to bring in $11 million in economic impact to the area.
Salem is slated to continue hosting the race through 2028.
Competitors and their supporters will begin to arrive July 18 as athletes check-in and prepare at Ironman Village in Riverfront Park. July 19 will feature festivities and pre-race events, headlined by an Ironkids race in the park at 9 a.m.
Ironman 70.3 Oregon begins at 6:15 a.m. July 20 at Minto-Brown Island Park for the swim portion of the race.
The winners of the male and female age group categories will both earn spots to compete in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France. In 2024, Luke Tasker won the men’s race in 3 hours and 53 minutes. Maia Watson won the women’s race in 4 hours 12 minutes and 51 seconds.
An awards ceremony will take place at the amphitheater around 3:45 p.m.
Salem road closures, traffic information for Ironman 70.3 Oregon
During the race, Salem residents can anticipate road closures and traffic impacts.
Between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 20, vehicles using River Road S to travel between Salem and Independence are recommended to use alternate routes.
Signs will be posted in several locations throughout these areas to warn drivers of traffic impacts:
- Front Street SE to Trade Street SE (Southbound): Two lanes closed, one lane open for vehicle traffic
- Commercial Street SE (Southbound): Two lanes closed, one lane open for vehicle traffic
- Mission Street (Commercial Street to Saginaw Street S): Local traffic only
- Saginaw Street S (Mission Street to Owens Street): Local traffic only
- Owens Street between Liberty Street SE and River Road S: Closed to westbound traffic
- River Road S between Owens Street and Minto Island Road: Closed to southbound traffic
For more on info, go to ironman.com/races/im703-oregon/traffic-impact
Where you can watch athletes compete in Ironman 70.3 Oregon
A few parks will be affected by the event, too.
Riverfront Park, Minto-Brown Island Park and Wallace Marine Park will remain open throughout the event, but access and parking will be limited.
The parks, which are recommended as the best viewing spots for the race, will be taken over by athletes, spectators and staff.
Ironman’s “green team,” a group of volunteers dedicated to keeping the event environmentally friendly, has been able to reduce waste production by half since Ironman 70.3 Oregon’s first year in 2021, race director Joel Gaff said.
The team, featuring volunteers and leaders from Salem Harvest, collected roughly 12,000 reusable containers at last year’s event.
For information on volunteer work during the event, go to ironman.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90019
Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem road closures, traffic info for Ironman 70.3 Oregon
Category: General Sports
