The impending arrival of Hurricane Joaquin on the US East Coast has forced the organizing team of IRONMAN Maryland to postpone the event. A statement has been put on the IRONMAN Maryland website, and athletes are being contacted directly by e-mail.
Official forecasts have raised the odds of the US East Coast seeing its first land falling hurricane in 15 months. This comes as a major blow to the athletes and organizing team behind IRONMAN Maryland.
The inaugural IRONMAN Maryland triathlon took place on Saturday 20 September 2014, becoming the first IRONMAN race in the Mid-Atlantic region. The 2015 IRONMAN Maryland triathlon presented by Transamerica was scheduled to take place on Saturday 3 October 2015.
A possible re-scheduled date for the event is Saturday 17 October – although, this is pending official confirmation.
The official statement reads as follows…
Dear IRONMAN Maryland Athletes,
Due to projected flooding from abnormally high tides, heavy rain, wind, and the expected impact of Hurricane Joaquin, IRONMAN Maryland will not take place this Saturday.
Given the severity of the expected weather conditions, which may – depending on the path of Joaquin – require the evacuation of certain coastal regions on the Delmarva peninsula, we can not guarantee that public safety officials will able to provide the support necessary for the safe execution of our event.
The safety of our athletes, volunteers, spectators, and staff is our number one priority.
We are asking all athletes to not travel to Maryland since forecasts expect heavy weather impact in the area. We are tentatively planning and have tentative approval to have the race take place on Saturday, October 17; however, no final decision can be made until the effects of the storm are fully assessed.
We appreciate your understanding and will be in further communication with you by 6 p.m. EST next Tuesday.
