Ironman Maryland heads to Cambridge

We are less than a month away from Ironman Maryland. The so-called long distance, ultra distance triathalon will take over Cambridge on September 18.

“So it starts with a 2.4 mile swim, which we do right in the Choptank River. Then we have a 112 mile bike, most of which goes through Blackwater Natiional Wildlife Refuge, which is really nice for the athletes. And then it finishes with a full marathon run, 26.2 miles,” says Race Director Angie Hengst.

The run itself takes you through the residential and downtown parts of Cambridge.

Hengst says, “What’s special about Ironman Maryland is the athletes themselves have dubbed themselves crabbies. Obviously people associate maryland with crabs and over the years the athletes just called themselves crabbies, and the town has kind of embraced that as well.”

It’s not just about the athletes, the event itself brings in big dollars to the region. Between Ironman, and Eagleman, another race earlier in the Summer, officials say on average they bring about five million dollars to the area. Organizers tells us they aren’t just bringing money in, they’re also giving back.

“Our Ironman Foundation is also involved through our volunteerism program and so we’ll give back an additional $32,000 to the community this year as part of that program, which brings our total to just over $330,000 for our time here in Cambridge,” says Regional Director Drew Wolff.

Organizers tells us that any non-profit group that volunteers to work the event is eligible to apply for a grant donation from the Ironman Foundation. You can find information on that by clicking here.

If you’d like to try and grab a last minute race spot, click here.

You can find information about the race itself here.