Ironman - Jacksonville (Downtown - St. Johns River)

Swimmer Escorts needed for the inaugural Ironman event in Jacksonville, along the St. Johns River!
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Here are more details gleaned from the Thursday evening Safety Meeting:

1. Swimmer escorts will be issued a Red flag and small rescue float (with a short rope attached)
2. race course markings

• 1st half of the race course will be marked with YELLOW bouys, numbered 1 thru 10
• the 2nd half of the race course will be marked with RED bouys, also numbered 1 thru 10, and be in place from the half-way point thru to the finish / takeout
• each swimmer escort will be assigned a zone ... i.e. yellow 3, or red 7, or red 2, etc. You are to remain in your "zone" as the swimmers pass by, with the intent to keep them between the bouys and the NORTH bank.

3. If you encounter a swimmer in need of urgent assistance, wave your red flag continously. That will alert rescue authorities (in powered vessels) to respond immediately.
4. If you encounter a situation or swimmer that has you concerned (but not in an urgent sense), raise your red flag but do not wave it, and a race official will respond to provide help and evaluate the situation.
5. If you encounter a swimmer needing a temporary rest, it is okay to provide your kayak for that purpose. Place the nose of your boat within reach for them to grasp. However, do not paddle along the course with them attached to you ... that is not allowed by Ironman rules. Try to orient your boat upstream to maintain your position, as best as possible.
6. Everyone is to stay in your assigned area until the "sweeper" passes, indicating the final group of swimmers. It may be around 10:30 am before all swimmers exit the water
7. Race starts at 7:30 am - we may begin arriving at 5:30 to the staging area, which will be the parking lot next to the boat ramp (under the Acosta bridge).

Note the river currents are usually quite strong so be sure to wear your PFD (w/whistle), along with some energy bars and something to drink.
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Join us as we help provide the safety net for thousands of swimmers. More details below for the actual event. The swimming portion of this event will run from Met Park, where the athletes will jump into the river from the docks, 2.4 miles downstream to the dock at the end of Post St. https://maps.app.goo.gl/k8xYhQ8it2i5QadW7. (You may have to copy / paste the link to see this map). Note that kayaker and other safety escorts will be able to launch from the boatramp near Friendship Fountain. This event is expected to have close to 2,500 participants and will start near 7:30 am, so we'll probably need to be in the water around 7:00. I'll provide more details once I receive them. This should be a very exciting event for the city and hope we'll have lots of interested kayakers along for the ride! To see the press release, click this link: https://www.ironman.com/news/floridas-first-coast-welcomes-full-distance-ironman-triathlon-ironman-jacksonville-set-debut

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The inaugural IRONMAN Jacksonville takes place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Florida. This full-distance triathlon features a 2.4-mile swim in the St. Johns River, a 112-mile two-loop bike course through downtown Jacksonville, and a 26.2-mile three-loop run along the Riverwalk, offering qualifying slots for the 2026 World Championship in Kona.

Key Details for IRONMAN Jacksonville (May 16, 2026):

• Location: Downtown Jacksonville, Florida.
• Course Structure:
• Swim: 2.4-mile, point-to-point in the St. Johns River (timed with incoming tide).
• Bike: 112-mile, two-loop, flat, and fast course.
• Run: 26.2-mile, three-loop course along the river and through Riverside Avenue.

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