Borough May Take On Central Role Hosting 2012 Ironman Triathlon

The Borough of Fort Lee is in the early stages of planning its involvement in a major Ironman triathlon competition that takes place next summer, and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich says he’d like to see the borough take on a central role while taking the opportunity to turn it into an event the entire community can enjoy.

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and New York City Triathlon recently announced that the 2012 Ironman U.S. Championship will—for the first time ever—take place in the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan area on August 11, 2012.

Speaking at last week’s regular meeting of the Fort Lee Mayor and Council, Sokolich said that he and several members of the Borough Council have met with representatives from WTC, which owns and organizes “Ironman” events worldwide.

“August 11 of 2012, the Ironman triathlon is going to take place,” Sokolich said. “And Fort Lee is really the hub. Everybody is going to congregate at Ross’s Dock, and you’re talking about a couple thousand guys and girls. I’m also very proud to tell you that there were a multitude of boroughs that were being considered to play this part—this cog in the wheel—and we were selected.”

Fort Lee resident Elliot Albirt, who knows a little something about such competitions, having recently competed his first full Ironman in Lake Placid, N.Y., told the council Thursday he estimated the event would draw about 2,500 participants, but that “the opportunity goes beyond participants.”

Albirt said official gatherings like the athlete check-in, village and official hotel would probably be in Manhattan, but also said "that doesn’t mean that people won’t look for less expensive places to stay, which would include Fort Lee.”

“Also, [Fort Lee] is closer to the transition, which means it’s easier to transport their gear before and after the race,” Albirt said. “That’s something we should promote, but it’s also all the spectators. There are probably going to be … anywhere from five to 10 spectators per [participant] plus volunteers, which are largely going to be based here … and most spectators, they don’t go home. They get out here at 6 a.m., they look for their swimmer and then they’re here until their athlete finishes. They don’t go home and bounce back-and-forth. They stay in town.”

Sokolich explained his understanding of the way event organizers see things working at this point: The athletes initially convene at Ross Dock in Fort Lee. They’re then barged up the Hudson River and start their 2.4-mile swim back. Next, they get on their bicycles and ride to Hudson Terrace and ultimately north on the Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP).

Albirt said the competitors would then likely do two loops of about 25 miles up and back on the PIP for a total of 112 miles. They would then ditch their bikes, put on their running gear and run a Marathon-length course, which Albirt said would most likely be predominantly in Palisades Interstate Park, heading north toward Alpine and back.

But Sokolich also said he’d like to see Fort Lee be more than “just brick and mortar” and take on a greater role—something he said the WTC officials he met with encouraged.

“They’ve also asked if we would be interested to involve more of Fort Lee internally. Maybe they would be allowed to use a few miles of our roadways for either the bike portion or the run portion,” Sokolich said. “The thought is on that day, if we can do it without shutting down the borough—and I think we can—I’d love to get them past , where maybe we can have an outdoor concert on that day. We can have a community barbecue … I think it would be a great, great event for the community if perhaps they come through some of our internal roadways.”

Sokolich said he’s also met with officials from the Fort Lee Police Department’s Traffic Bureau and is pretty sure the borough could make it that work, shutting down roads for the duration of the race, but also accommodating pedestrians and motorists.

“We have to be obviously conscientious of the public to make sure that it’s not a complete shutdown of the town, but we’re confident we’re going be able to do it in a way where we have the coexistence of circulating within our own borough and serving as host [to] a U.S. championship,” Sokolich said. “We do things right when we play host to things, and we’re looking forward to it.”

And it was evident Thursday that Albirt is looking forward to the event as well, urging the Mayor and Council to “find a way to get it done.”

“It’s going to be a great event, I can tell you, having been a spectator for a couple and participated in one,” Albirt said.

Sokolich told Albirt he’s “fully supportive of it.”

“Any event that’s going to bring people together, where they’re going to walk with their kids and go look at this, is going to be a great thing,” he said, adding that any overtime costs incurred as a result of the event would be reimbursed.