Road closures, course and more: What to expect as Happy Valley Ironman returns

Hundreds of athletes from Centre County and beyond will race in the fourth Ironman 70.3 in Happy Valley on Sunday, some hoping to land a spot in the world championship.

For the first year, Happy Valley’s Ironman 70.3 will double as a North American Championship race, qualifying some athletes for the world championship in Nice. Eighty professional athletes will compete in Sunday’s race, officially called the 2026 Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship.

The course includes a 1.2-mile swim at Bald Eagle State Park, a 56-mile bike ride through Centre and Clinton counties and a 13.1-mile run on Penn State’s campus. The course ends at Beaver Stadium, where athletes will take a lap around the field before crossing the finish line on Curtin Road.

Traffic delays and road closures are expected Sunday as the athletes move through the area.

Pros will start swimming at 6:50 a.m., the age group race starts at 7:05 a.m., and athletes will start crossing the finish line as early as 11 a.m. The race is expected to conclude around 4 p.m., and the awards ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Of the more than 1,700 people participating, athletes represent 14 countries and 45 states, and range in age from 18-80.

This year, kids get a preview of the race. The one-mile Ironkids race for ages 5-17 starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday. There is a half-mile course for ages 3-8, and a toddler trot for ages 1-3. Registration for Ironkids opens at 8:45 a.m. at Jordan East Lot at Beaver Stadium.

Also on Saturday, athletes are invited to a Pro Series Panel at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m., female pros including Natalie Grabow, who, at 80, became the oldest woman ever to complete a full Ironman last October, will share advice at a Women’s Panel.

“We’re going to see some amazing athletes,” said Josh Cone, race director. “From the first finisher to the last finisher.”

Here’s a closer look at the course, along with road closures:

Swimming (1.2 miles)

Athletes will stagger their entrance into the water at Foster Sayers Reservoir, with the first Pro Men starting at 6:50 a.m., Pro Women at 6:55 a.m., and everyone else at 7:05. Each athlete has 1 hour and 10 minutes to finish the 1.2-mile loop around Foster Sayers Reservoir.

Bicycling (56 miles)

Next, athletes will bike 56 miles toward State College. The biking route takes athletes through Clinton and Centre counties, ending at Beaver Stadium. Below are the turn-by-turn directions.

• Right out of transition on Main Park Road

• U-turn on Main Park Road

• Right on North Eagle Valley Road/Highway 150

• Right on Beach Creek Avenue

• Right on North Water Street/state Route 64/Nittany Valley Drive

• Right on Jacksonville Road

• Left on Hubler Ridge Road

• Right on state Route 64/Nittany Valley Drive

• Continue state Route 64/East College Avenue

• Left South Harrison Road

• Left on South Main Street/ state Route 144

• Right on West Church Street/Upper Brush Valley Road

• Right on Linden Hall Road

• Right on Boalsburg Road

• Left on East Branch Road

• Right on South Atherton Street

• Right on University Drive

• Right on Dauer Drive

• Right on Commuter Drive

• Finish at Transition 2

Running (13.1 miles)

For the last leg of the race, athletes will run two loops on Penn State’s campus before crossing the finish line on Curtin Road outside Beaver Stadium. Here’s the course:

• Exit Transition toward Dauer Road

• Turn left on Dauer Drive

• Turn right on Commuter Drive

• Turn right on Curtin Road

• Turn left into Beaver Stadium

• Turn right onto West Shore Home Field

• Turn left

• Turn left

• Turn left

• Turn right to exit Beaver Stadium

• Turn right onto Curtin Road

• Turn right at Curtin Road

• Make U-turn on Curtin Road at the Nittany Lion Shrine

• Turn left on Curtin Road

• Turn right on Bigler Road

• Turn right on Pollock Road

• Bear left on path

• Turn sharp right on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right

• Turn left onto path

• Turn right on West Campus Drive

• Make U-turn on West Campus Drive

• Turn left on North Barnard Street

• Turn right onto path

• Turn right on path

• Continue straight onto Pollock Drive

• Turn right on Pattee Mall

• Turn left on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right on Pollock Drive

• Turn right on Mifflin Road

• Turn left on McKean Road

• Turn right on Hastings Road

• Turn left on University Drive

• Turn right on Dauer Drive

• To begin Lap 2, turn left on Commuter Drive.

• Turn right on Curtin Road

• Turn left into Beaver Stadium

• Turn right onto West Shore Home Field

• Turn left

• Turn left

• Turn left

• Turn right to exit Beaver Stadium

• Turn right onto Curtin Road

• Turn right at Curtin Road

• Make U-turn on Curtin Road at the Nittany Lion Shrine

• Turn left on Curtin Road

• Turn right on Bigler Road

• Turn right on Pollock Road

• Bear left on path

• Turn sharp right on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right

• Turn left onto path

• Turn right on West Campus Drive

• Make U-turn on West Campus Drive

• Turn left on North Barnard Street

• Turn right onto path

• Turn right on path

• Continue straight onto Pollock Drive

• Turn right on Pattee Mall

• Turn left on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right on path

• Turn left on path

• Turn right on Pollock Drive

• Turn right on Mifflin Road

• Turn left on Mc Kean Road

• Turn right on Hastings Road

• Turn left on University Drive

• Turn right on Dauer Drive

• Turn left on Commuter Drive

• Turn right on Curtin Road toward finish

Road closures across Centre County

(all dates are Sunday unless otherwise noted)

Curtin Road (University Drive to Porter Road) — 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Curtin Road (Atherton Street to University Drive) — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

University Drive (Park Avenue to College Avenue) — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Hastings Road (McKean Road to University Drive) — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

McKean Road (Shortlidge Road to Bigler Road) — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mifflin Road (McKean Road to Pollock Road) — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Pollock Road ( Bigler Road to Burrowes Road) — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

West Campus Drive (Patterson Street to Barnard Street) — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shortlidge Road (Curtin Road to Pollock Road) — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Commuter Drive (Curtin Road to Dauer Drive) — Saturday at 6 a.m. to Sunday at 6 p.m.

Bald Eagle State Park (Route 150/Eagle Valley Road to Old Route 220) — 6:50 to 10 a.m.

Beech Creek Avenue (Route 150/ Eagle Valley Road to Water Street) — Local access only 6:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Harrison Road (College Avenue/ Route 26 to Main Street/ Route 144) — Local access only 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Main Street/ Route 144/ Pennsylvania Avenue (Southbound) (Sunset Avenue to Black Bear Drive) — Local access only 8:10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Route 144/ Pennsylvania Avenue (Black Bear Drive to Church Street) — 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Route 144/ Pennsylvania Avenue (Northbound) (Church Street to Kelly Street) — Local access only 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Access to Boalsburg Road from Nittany Orchards neighborhood is closed; detour to Whitehill & Berry.

Country Club Road (College Avenue to Branch Road) — Local and club access only 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

University Drive (Northbound) (Easterly Parkway to College Ave) — Local access only 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

University Drive (College Avenue to Park Avenue) — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

College Avenue (Westbound) (University Drive On-Ramp) — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Event traffic is expected on the following roads:

Route 150/ Eagle Valley Road (Eastbound) (Main Park Road to Beech Creek Ave) — 7:15 to 10:30 a.m.

Water Street (Southbound) (Beech Creek Ave to Jacksonville Road) — 7:15 to 11 a.m. Jacksonville Road (Westbound) (Water Street to Hubler Ridge Road) — 7:20 a.m. to noon

Hubler Ridge Road (Southbound) (Jacksonville Road to Nittany Valley Drive/Route 64) — 7:45 a.m. to noon

Nittany Valley Drive/ Route 64/ College Avenue (Westbound) (Hubler Ridge Road to Harrison Road) — 7:50 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Church Street/ Upper Brush Valley Road (Westbound) (Route 144/Pennsylvania Ave to Linden Hall Road) — 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Boalsburg Road (Northbound) (Linden Hall Road to Branch Road) — 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Branch Road (South & Northbound) (Boalsburg Road to Atherton Street) — 8:40 a.m. to 2 p.m.

University Drive (Northbound) (Atherton Street to Easterly Parkway) — 8:40 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No parking zones for Sunday:

Curtin Road (University Drive to Porter Road) — 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dauer Drive (University Drive to Commuter Drive) — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bigler Road (Mc Kean Road to Elm Road) — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

McKean Road (Mifflin Road to Linden Road) — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mifflin Road (McKean Road to Pollock Road) — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pollock Road (Mifflin Road to Burrowes Road) — 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

West Campus Drive/ Old Railroad Grde (Patterson Street to Barnard Street) — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shortlidge Road (Curtin Road to Pollock Road) — 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Curtin Road (Atherton Street to University Drive) — 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cecile McWilliams

Centre Daily Times

512-924-3134

Cecile McWilliams is a summer intern for the Centre Daily Times. She graduated from Princeton with a degree in Spanish in 2026.