Care for a dip? No, me neither…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that this Sunday (June 14th 2015), the inaugural Staffordshire Ironman Triathlon will be staged, with a 1.2 mile swim in Chasewater being amongst the highlights.

Since the event consists of running and cycling races too, there will be a series of road closures in Staffordshire throughout the day, and the following information from the Ironman event website details these.

There will be no vehicle access to Chasewater from 6pm tonight (Friday 12th June 2015) until 12 noon Sunday (14th June 2015)…

please remember there is no vehicle access to the park from Friday 12/6 PM to Sunday14/6 12PM..

— SCC Chasewater IC (@SCCChasewater) June 9, 2015

Chasewater’s social media crew announced the following a few moments ago:

Ironman is two days away! come and watch from 7am, free park and ride from Holland Park Brownhills

— SCC Chasewater IC (@SCCChasewater) June 12, 2015

There’s been lots of publicity for the event, and I’m interested in reader contributions on the day – photos, reviews etc.

Best of luck to any readers competing!

The event focusses on Shugborough. He’s either well ahead of the pack, or well behind. Image from Ironman UK website.

Ironman UK wrote:

Staffordshire County Council and IRONMAN are pleased to announce that IRONMAN triathlon will be coming to the heart of England. The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon will take place on June 14 2015.

Staffordshire County Council and IRONMAN are pleased to announce that IRONMAN triathlon will be coming to the heart of England. The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon will take place on June 14 2015.

IRONMAN® 70.3 Staffordshire will consist of a 1.2-mile swim in Chasewater reservoir and a 56-mile bike course through the stunning countryside outside Lichfield, Burton-upon-Trent and across Cannock Chase area of outstanding natural beauty. The concluding 13.1 mile run will start and finish at the historic Shugborough country estate, the former ancestral home of Lord Lichfield, a renowned royal photographer and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Therre will doubtlessly be lots of new-fangled plastic bikes in use, plus ample taut lycra. Hats off to the chaps, but I’ll stick to my pootling, cheers. Image from the Express and Star.

IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire will involve some diversions and road closures during the bike and run sections of the event to ensure the safety of athletes and members of the public. These legal road closures are implemented under the Special Events Act.

IRONMAN is committed to providing accurate information that residents, visitors and businesses can use to plan their day and avoid unnecessary delay.

More detailed information broken down by villages and towns is shown below. To see the overview of the bike course CLICK HERE and for the run course CLICK HERE.

More information will be provided as the event approaches.  If you have a road access query not detailed below, please provide the following details and send your enquiry to: staffordshire70.3@ironmanroadaccess.com

Abbots Bromley – 7am – 12:30pm

The course will not pass through Abbots Bromley but the town will have limited access from the West between the above times. Access from the South via the A51, A513 and B5014 is available all day. Access from the East via the A513 will open earlier at King’s Bromley from 11am onwards.

Admaston – 8am – 1pm

The bike course will not pass through Admaston but will skirt the Western sides of the area. During the above advertised times residents should prepare for extended travel times and alternative routes via the B5014 Uttoxeter Rd to access Rugeley and the A51 South.

Brownhills- 7am – 11am

The course will not go through Brownhills however residents should be aware of restrictions North of Brownhills throughout the day. Residents should also be aware of possible delays on the A5 on both Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th June.

Burntwood – 6:30am – 10am

Road closures are in place between these times. The bike course departs along the A5195 before diverting onto A5190 then Stables Way.  The course will continue north before taking a right turn towards Hayfield Hill and then north on Redmoor Rd before taking a right turn onto School Lane.

Cannock Chase – 8:30am – 2:30pm

The bike course passes through Cannock Chase. Access to the Cannock Chase Forest recreation area will be available throughout the day from Penkridge Bank. During the above times, residents should prepare for extended travel time and alternative routes.

Colton – 8am – 1pm

The bike course will not pass through Colton but will skirt the Western sides of the area. During the above advertised times residents should prepare for extended travel times and alternative routes via the B5014 Uttoxeter Rd to access Rugeley and the A51 South.

Chasewater – 5am – 10am

Chasewater Country Park will be the venue for the transition and swim leg of the IRONMAN® 70.3 Staffordshire. As a result, the park will have a higher than average traffic flow on Saturday as well as building taking place in the week leading up the race. Chasewater Country Park car park will be closed to the public while the swim leg and the beginning of the bicycle leg begin.  We recommend residents avoid using the park during the above times, as there could be substantial delays.

Draycott in the Clay – 7am – 12:30pm

Turning right at Six Roads End, the course continues North on the A515 before turning left at Greaves Lane into Draycott in the Clay. Access to Greaves Lane will be maintained but no Southbound travel beyond this will be possible.

Gentleshaw – 6:30am – 11am

Continuing through Gentleshaw the course heads East along Thorleys Hill & turning right on to Stoneywell Lane. Access to Cannock Wood and Prospect Village from Gentleshaw will be limited during the times listed above. Vehicles will still be able to move below the closure by heading South to the A5190 and A5. Access will be maintained to the North side of Gentleshaw and Cannock Wood by heading through Upper Longdon and onto the A51.

Great Haywood 8:30am – 5pm

The run course will enter Great Haywood via Trent Lane turn right down main road towards Little Haywood. The course will then continue right where it will join up with the inbound cycle course. Resident access along Main Rd will be available Southbound for the duration of the event.

Hanbury – 7am – 12:30pm

The course continues North along Belmot Rd before turning left onto Anslow Rd. The course will continue through Hanbury around to the West back towards the Six Roads End. Residents on the North side of Hanbury wishing to travel South will need to travel West on Fauld Lane before heading South on the A511 to avoid the restrictions.  

Hednesford – 6:30am – 10am

The course does not pass through Hednesford on the day of the race, however restrictions will be in place in Rugeley (above) and below on the A5190 (Burntwood).

 King’s Bromley – 7am – 11am

Access to King’s Bromley will be restricted during the above times. It is recommended that residents wishing to travel during these times park to the East side of the A515 which will provide access to the East along the A513 towards the A38 and beyond.

Kingstone – 7am – 12:30pm

The course does not pass through Kingstone however; the course will skirt the town on the eastern side along the B5013.  For access, use the A518, to the north A50 Uttoxeter or south A34.

Little Haywood – 8:30am – 5pm

The run course will enter Great Haywood via Trent Lane turn right down main road towards Little Haywood. The course will then continue right where it will join up with the inbound cycle course. Resident access along Main Rd will be available Southbound for the duration of the event.

Longdon – 7am – 11am

Continuing through Gentleshaw the course heads East along Thorleys Hill & turning right on to Stoneywell Lane. Access to Cannock Wood and Prospect Village from Gentleshaw will be limited during the times listed above. Vehicles will still be able to move below the closure by heading South to the A5190 and A5. Access will be maintained to the North side of Gentleshaw and Cannock Wood by heading through Upper Longdon and onto the A51.

 Marchington 7am – 12:30pm

The course does not pass through the centre of Marchington however, it will skirt to the West on the B5017.

 Milford – 8:30am – 2:30pm

The bike course will not pass through Milford but will skirt the Eastern sides of the district. The A34 is the best route for access to the South and West. During the above advertised times residents should prepare for extended travel times and alternative routes.

Needwood – 7am – 12:30pm

The course continues North on Holly Bush Rd before taking a right hand turn onto B5017 at Six Roads End. The course continues South East before taking a sharp left turn at the roundabout at Needwood. This roundabout is still open to traffic traveling to and from St. George’s Park and Tatenhill Airfield.

Newborough 7am – 12:30pm

The bike course will continue north from Yoxall on the A515 before turning left onto Duffield Lane. The bike course will continue into Newborough before turning right onto Holly Bush Rd.

Rugeley 8:30am – 2:30pm

The bike course will not come through the town centre of Rugeley but will skirt the North side of the town from the A51/A460 roundabout onto Bower Lane. Residents wishing to travel West to Wolseley Bridge during the above times should factor in extended travel times via the A460 and A34 Cannock Rd.

Rugeley A51 through routes

While access in Rugeley is largely unaffected the A51 through route West towards Shugborough will be closed from Bower Lane (A460) and Station Rd (B5013) between 08.30am and 2.30pm. Diversion routes for Stafford, Stone, Weston and Great Haywood are via A460 and A34 from Rugeley at these times. Access routes for Lichfield and the East from Rugeley will be via the A51 between 7am and 11am. 

Shugborough Estate 8:30am – 5pm

Shugborough Estate will host the cycle course finish, transition area, run course and finish line on the day of the race. As such, pedestrian access to the estate via the Essex Bridge is only available prior to the event starting and vehicle access to the estate will be limited on Saturday & Sunday.  

Stafford – 7am – 5pm

While Stafford is not directly affected by the closures, anyone planning a journey on this day should be aware of the restrictions in place around Shugborough, the A51, A513 and Cannock Chase.

Wolseley Bridge 8:30am – 2:30pm

The course will pass through the Southern side of Wolseley Bridge on the A513 during the times shown above. Access during these times will be restricted from the South but available all day from the North. Access to the Wolseley Arms and Garden Centre is also available all day by traveling down the A51 through.

 Yoxall – 7am – 12:30pm

The bike course travels north on the A515 through Yoxall along Bond End veering left at King St. Residents on the Western side of Bond End should plan travel around the above times as closures could see East bound travel greatly extended.