Your guide to the Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley course routes, road closures & more

Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley returns Sunday for its second year, with thousands of athletes, spectators and volunteers expected to take part in this year’s race.

The 70.3 miles of the race are broken up the same way as last year, with a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park kicking the event off early Sunday morning, followed by a 56-mile bike ride to Penn State, where a 13.1-mile run through campus is the final leg for athletes. The race ends at the 50-yard line of Beaver Stadium.

Last year more than 2,000 athletes from all over the country competed in the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley. The first to finish was Penn State alumnus Matthew Guenter of Boulder, Colorado, who completed the race in 4:19.30.

Much preparation has gone into planning and organizing Ironman, which has a three-year contract for races in Happy Valley. Orange signs around the area have begun to alert travelers about various traffic impacts on Sunday, and a press release from Penn State highlighted those impacts and urged people to plan ahead.

“Those who need to travel on the day of the event are encouraged to review the following list of traffic and parking impacts, utilize detour routes if able, and allow for additional travel time to your destination,” the release states.

Below is a closer look at the course routes, along with road closures.

Swimming (1.2 miles)

The single, clockwise loop in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir starts and ends at the beach and includes two right turns. Athletes will begin to enter the water at 6 a.m. and it is expected to take 1 hour and 30 minutes for all athletes to enter the water, according to Ironman’s website.

Bicycling (56 miles)

After the swim, athletes will get on their bicycles to start the longest leg of the race. The route travels northeast through Mill Hall before turning south and into Hublers Ridge, Pleasant Gap, Centre Hall and other towns. The bicycle portion ends near Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.

Ironman’s website outlines the turn by turn directions:

• Right out of transition on Main Park Road

• U-turn on Main Park Road

• Right on North Eagle Valley Road/Highway 150

• Right on Beach Creek Avenue

• Right on North Water Street/state Route 64 Nittany Valley Drive

• Right on Jacksonville Road

• Left on Hubler Ridge Road

• Right on state Route 64/Nittany Valley Drive

• Continue Route 64/East College Avenue

• Left South Harrison Road

• Left on South Main Street/Route 144

• Right on West Church Street/Upper Brush Valley Road

• Right on Linden Hall Road

• Right on Boalsburg Road

• Left on East Branch Road

• Right on South Atherton Street

• Right on University Drive

• Right on Dauer Drive

• Left on Commuter Drive

• Finish at Beaver Stadium

Running (13.1 miles)

Ironman Happy Valley concludes with a two-loop course for runners through Penn State’s campus. Below are turn by turn directions:

• Exit Transition, Left on Curtin Road

• Left on University Drive

• Right on Hastings Road

• Left on Bigler Road

• Right on Elm Road

• Continue on campus pathway

• Left on Linden

• Left on Mc Kean Road

• Right on Mifflin Road

• Left on Pollock Road

• Left on Old Main pathway – follow around Old Main Lawn

• Continue right on pathway at East College Avenue

• Right on Pattee Mall

• Left on Pollock Road

• Continue across Burrowes on Westgate walkway

• Left on Barnard Street

• Right on Railroad Avenue

• U-turn on Railroad Ave (at North Patterson Street)

• Left on Barnard Street

• Right on Westgate walkway

• Continue across Burrowes on Pollock Road

• Left on Shortlidge Mall pathway

• Left on Curtin Road

• U-turn at Nittany Lion Statue

• (Start Second Lap) U-turn on Curtin at Transition

• (To Finish) Left into Beaver Stadium

Closed roads

(All dates are Sunday unless otherwise noted)

Curtin Road (University Drive to Porter Road) — 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bald Eagle State Park (Route 150/Eagle Valley Road to Old Route 220) — 7-10 a.m.

Elm Road (Bigler Road to Benedict House) — 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Mifflin Road (McKean Road to Burrowes Road) — 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Pollock Road (Mifflin Road to Burrowes Road) — 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Curtin Road (Atherton Street to University Drive) — 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

University Drive (Park Avenue to College Avenue) — 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Route 144/Pennsylvania Avenue (Black Bear Drive to Church Street) — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Hastings Road (McKean Road to University Drive) — 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Linden Road (McKean Road to Bigler Road) — 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

McKean Road (Shortlidge Road to Bigler Road) — 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

West Campus Drive (Patterson Street to Barnard Street) — 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Shortlidge Road (Curtin Road to Pollock Road) — 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

College Avenue westbound on-ramp to University Drive — 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Commuter Drive between Curtin Road and Dauer Drive — 8 a.m. Saturday-6 p.m. Sunday

Roads open with event traffic

Route 150/Eagle Valley Road eastbound (Main Park Road to Beech Creek Avenue) — 7:30-10:30 a.m.

Water Street eastbound (Beech Creek Avenue to Jacksonville Road) — 7:30-11 a.m.

Jacksonville Road westbound (Water Street to Hubler Ridge Road) — 7:30 a.m.-noon

Hubler Ridge Road southbound (Jacksonville Road to Nittany Valley Drive/Route 64) — 8 a.m.-noon

Nittany Valley Drive/Route 64/College Avenue westbound (Hubler Ridge Road to Harrison Road) — 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Church Street/Upper Brush Valley Road westbound (Route 144/Pennsylvania Avenue to Linden Hall Road) — 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Boalsburg Road northbound (Linden Hall Road to Branch Road) — 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Branch Road southbound (Boalsburg Road to Atherton Street) — 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Local access only roads

University Drive (Easterly Parkway to College Avenue) — 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Harrison Road (College Avenue/Route 26 to Main Street/Route 144 — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Main Street/Route 144/Pennsylvania Avenue southbound (Sunset Avenue to Black Bear Drive) — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Route 144/Pennsylvania Avenue northbound (Church Street to Kelly Street) — 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

For a full list of road closures and traffic impacts, visit Ironman Happy Valley’s website.

Penn State campus parking closures

A section of Stadium West near Gate B at Beaver Stadium and the north section of Jordan East will be closed Tuesday through July 2, according to a Penn State news release.

The following lots will be closed on Sunday:

• Brown B

• Brown E

• Green C

• Orange L (Multi-Sport Facility and Bryce Jordan Center back lot sections)

• Red H

• Yellow E (both sections)

• Yellow H (all sections)

• Yellow L

• Yellow R

• Lot 82 (McKean/Pennypacker section)

Other lots will have limited access, and Penn State urged permit holders who need to park on campus Sunday to use the East, HUB, Nittany and West decks.

“A single crossing to access Eisenhower Deck and other areas inside the running route will be maintained on Bigler Road at Curtin Road,” the release states. “Crossing Curtin Road will only be allowed between athletes, and delays may be significant.”

Those with questions about campus parking and road closures should contact Transportation Services at 814-865-1436 or email parking@psu.edu.