Two Charlestown Residents Compete in Ironman in RI

More than 1,300 athletes representing nearly 20 countries and 40 states will compete in the 2011 Amica Ironman competition in Rhode Island -- including two people from Charlestown.

Tara Sporko and Nancy Arena will participate in the fourth-annual event, which consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.

Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island will use a variety of the state's scenic areas. The 1.2-mile swim will be held at Lincoln Woods. Following the swim, athletes will ride bikes 56 miles through Blackstone Valley. Athletes will begin the ride on Route 116, George Washington Highway, and head north on Route 7, Douglas Turnpike. Riders will pass through Chepachet, Clayville and Scituate before heading to Providence. Cyclists will finish at the State House and transition to the 13.1-mile run through Providence. The two-loop run course leads athletes through the East Side and downtown Providence. The race finishes on the State House lawn, with a backdrop of the State House and Providence Place Mall.

The majority of age group athletes will finish between five and seven hours and the official cutoff for the event is 3:30 p.m. EDT, 8 ½ hours after the start of the final swim wave.