Plans for Annapolis? first triathlon are up and running again with the City Council?s approval Monday of a new lease reducing congestion downtown.
“We had put everything on hold to address the concerns,” said Jeremy Parks, vice president of the Annapolis Triathlon Club, which is organizing the Sept. 9 event.
The triathlon caused controversy among downtown businesses and residents who anticipated about 1,500 athletes arriving at the City Dock.
But the new lease:
» Moves the finish line out of downtown;
» Shifts parking away from downtown streets;
» Keeps Main Street open .
Athletes now will swim 1.5 kilometers at the City Dock then leave downtown to bike 40 kilometers to the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and complete a 10-kilometer run that doubles back to finish at the stadium.
Participants are prohibited from driving to the City Dock or parking individual vehicles along its neighboring streets.
Previously, Main Street would have been closed for portions of the race, but moving the finish line will keep the street open all morning, said Alderman Richard Israel, D-Ward 1.
But the new lease has downsides, such as a $5,000 rental fee for use of the property and a considerable increase in expenses, which detracts from the race?s net proceeds for eight Annapolis-based charities for at-risk youths, said Tom Smith, co-founder of the Annapolis Triathlon Club and a city employee.
“Every dollar that goes out is one less dollar to charity,” Parks said.
The new lease moves the race out of downtown by 9 a.m., which means shops and restaurants won?t be open in time to attract spectators, and the athletes won?t be able to enjoy Annapolis? historical significance along the race.
