First Pocono Ironman Triathlon

[Ed Wetschler]

A GUIDE FOR VIEWERS AND TRAVELERS

 

The Ironman 70.3 Triathlon is coming to the Pocono Mountains on October 2, and this is a big deal for both athletes and onlookers. It will be the first Ironman triathlon in Pennsylvania, and because it takes place in and around the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, it features some of the most beautiful scenery in the Middle Atlantic region. Odds are the athletes won't really appreciate it – they'll be focusing on swimming 1.2 miles in the Delaware River (right), biking as fast as they can through 56 miles of the Delaware Valley, and running 13.1 miles through historic downtown Stroudsburg.

Viewers, on the other hand, will get an eyeful. Parts of the Delaware Water Gap are more like a canyon than a mere valley. The Delaware – the only major undammed river east of the Mississippi -- cuts through 100+ miles of rugged country with forests, wildlife, cliffs that tower above the river, and waterfalls. The little village of Delaware Water Gap, through which the athletes will bike, is a charmer that dates back to 1793, and the half-marathon that completes the event will pass 19th-century Victorians in Stroudsburg. There'll be viewer points for all three segments of the race.

International Athletes

Richard Adler, CEO of Philadelphia Triathlon LLC, the organizer of this Ironman 70.3, says he was attracted by “the great diversity of terrain in the Pocono Mountains,” and he seems to have company. Athletes have signed up from 36 states, Mexico, Canada, and such far-flung places as Brazil, Peru, and even the Philippines. All told, there'll be 2,000 competitors (attention, superjocks: at press time, there were a few spots still open).

The official hotel for this event, the Fernwood Hotel and Resort, is less than two hours from midtown Manhattan. An unpretentious, family-friendly place, Fernwood is offering Ironman rates of $129* on Saturday night, $99 for Friday, and $89 for Thursday or Sunday. If you make a weekend of it, here are a few suggestions from a travel writer who happens to own a home in the neighborhood:

• Leaf-peeping. The foliage won't quite be at its peak, but there'll be enough crimson maples and golden oaks to merit a lot of photographs, especially along the forest-clad cliffs over the Delaware River. For organized nature walks visit the Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry. (And while you're there, cross the bridge, a wood-planked antique from the early 1900s.) 
• Golf. Not surprisingly, Fernwood offers golf, but also check out the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort's 27-hole A.W. Tillinghast course (1911), part of which occupies an island in the river. Jackie Gleason and that whole 1950s and '60s celebrity crowd loved this course. 
• Fishing. The Delaware is an aquarium – wall-to-wall trout (including wild trout), bass, giant carp, panfish, walleye, and who knows, maybe blue marlin. 
• Hiking. Take the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey, right across the river, or the McDade Trail on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. You can bike on it, too. 
• Shopping. Tons of antiques shops in Stroudsburg. Personal favorite: the Olde Engine Works, an industrial building from yesteryear now filled with antiques and collectibles dealers.
• Autos in Autumn. Stroudsburg's Courthouse Square will host an antique and classic cars show October 1. There'll be music, food, and, inevitably, engine envy. 

 

Peak Foliage in Pennsylvania

Want to think outside the box? Show up a week after the race, when the foliage is almost certain to be blazing. Or, if you can get away, go for a few midweek days, when the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is offering rooms from $114. Visit the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau site for more information on lodgings, events, and things to do.

 

*See Tripatini's Currency Desk for conversions.