2012 U.S. Ironman Championship Begins In New York Saturday

The 2012 Ironman U.S. Championship is set to begin Saturday at 6:50 a.m. ET. The event, which is being held for the first time, will take place in parts of New York City and New Jersey.

The competition consists of three parts; a swim, a bike ride and a run. It all begins with a 2.4 mile swim in the Hudson River. Competitors will begin at the ferry terminals and swim to the Ross Dock transition. Following the swimming portion, competitors will then ride a 112 mile bike race.

The biking portion will begin at the Ross Dock transition and head north on the Hudson Terrace until riders reach the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Riders will complete two loops of the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which will be closed for the event. Competitors will then ride back to the Ross Dock transition where they will begin the run.

The 2012 U.S. Ironman Championship wraps up with a 26.2 mile run. The course includes two seven-mile loops in the Palisades Interstate Parkway before runners head across the George Washington Bridge and finish the race in Riverside Park.

Participants are competing for 75 qualifying slots in the 2012 Ironman World Championship as well as a price purse of $125,000.

Ironman U.S. Championship - NYC 2012 (via sbnation)