NYC Triathlon 2018: Race Course, Street Closures, Where To Watch

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Thousands of athletes will descend upon the Upper West Side and Central Park this weekend for the 2018 2XU New York City Triathlon to test their endurance and swimming, biking and running skills.

This year's race is the 18th annual running of the triathlon and will feature a brand-new racecourse that will send runners counter-clockwise through Central Park as opposed to clockwise, according to race organizers. Five-thousand athletes are expected to participate.

"As the 2XU New York City Triathlon grows we want to continue to improve upon our race and with that the participant and spectator experience; this new run course is a great first step," Gladys Cueto, the race director, said in a statement.

The 2XU New York City Triathlon is the only International distance triathlon even that takes place in the city, according to race organizers. Athletes will be swimming a distance of .9 miles, biking a distance of 25.85 miles and running a distance of 6.2 miles. Organizers expect both professional and amateur athletes of all ages to participate as well as Paratriathletes.

Whether you're interested in checking the triathlon out, or you want to avoid it, here's everything you need to know about the race:

When it starts:

The triathlon will officially begin bright and early Sunday, July 1 at 5:30 a.m. with the swim portion. The winner is expected to cross the finish line in Central Park around 7:30 a.m., but the race will continue on through the morning as the slower athletes finish up.

There will be a number of triathlon-related events occurring throughout the weekend including Friday evening's Pair of Thieves Underwear Run through Central Park and a Saturday sports and fitness expo at the New York Hilton in Midtown.

The race course:

The first part of the triathlon is the swim portion, which will begin at West 99th Street and the Hudson River. Triathletes will swim down the river to West 79th Street where they will mount their bikes and begin the second leg of the race. The bike course takes triathletes up the Henry Hudson Parkway and into the Bronx, where they will then turn around and head back down to the Upper West Side. The running portion of the race will take place on West 72nd Street from Riverside Park into Central Park and then will follow the Central Park loop in a counter-clockwise direction.

Street closures:

The race course occupies a number of roads in Manhattan and the Bronx, which will be shut down to car traffic for athlete safety.

Here's a full list of closures provided by the NYPD:

Manhattan:

• Henry Hudson Parkway n/b between West 60th Street and the Henry Hudson Bridge
• West 72nd Street between Riverside Drive and Central Park West
• West 79th Street between Riverside Drive and Traffic Circle near West Side Highway
• West 79th Street Traffic Circle
• Central Park West Drive between 102nd Street Transverse and Center Drive
• Central Drive between Central Park West Drive and Central Park East Drive
• Central Park East Drive between Center Drive and 102nd Street Transverse
• 102nd Street Transverse between Central Park West Drive and Central Park East Drive
• Terrace Drive between Central Park West Drive and Central Park East Drive

Bronx:

• Henry Hudson Bridge (n/b lanes only)
• Henry Hudson Parkway (n/b lanes only) between the Henry Hudson Bridge and Mosholu Parkway
• Mosholu Parkway (Eastbound lanes only) between Henry Hudson Parkway and West Gun Hill

The NYPD can close additional streets at their discretion.

Where to watch:

For those of us who are not athletically gifted, the triathlon is a perfect spectator sport. The best spots to watch the athletes are likely to be found in Riverside Park near the beginning of the race course and where the racers transition from swimming to biking and biking to running.

Race organizers suggest spectators who want to follow one special athlete arrive at the race course with them at 4 a.m. in order to be let inside the set-up areas in Riverside Park including the swim start at West 99th Street and the biking transition at West 79th Street. Any spot along West 72nd Street from Riverside to Central Park should be a good place to watch the runners.

Photo by Gena Melendrez/Shutterstock