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SPECTATING LOCATIONS

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the swim

This one is EASY. Basically, be anywhere downtown along the river!

  • Anywhere on the Northbank Riverwalk

  • Main Street or Acosta Bridges (bird’s eye view)

  • Swim Exit (Post Street Dock)

  • BONUS: Catch them running down Riverside Ave from the swim exit to Transition

Green shading on the map above demonstrate awesome viewing spots for the swim

the bike (downtown section)

The easiest places to watch the beginning / ending part of the bike leg will be in Riverside and along Prudential Drive. You may need to hurry to see your athlete in these areas in the morning, though. Be mindful of traffic!

  • Along Margaret St. heading out of transition

  • Park Street (especially at Memorial Park)

  • Anywhere on Riverside Avenue between Roselle St. and the Acosta Bridge

  • Along Prudential Drive on the Southbank (you'll need to cross the Main Street bridge to get there. Do NOT use the Acosta)

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Green shading on the map above includes some great locations for the early part of the bike course

the bike (san jose section)

The upper portion of the bike course that travels on San Jose Blvd is full of good spots to see your athlete, but parking will likely be limited.  Some places you could consider seeing your athlete are listed below.

  • Generally, any spot on San Jose Blvd will be good - it's a wide-open road and your athlete will be moving quickly here

  • Near the Bolles School (see image)

  • Further south near where the left turn from San Jose Blvd to Baymeadows Rd

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BONUS: Stop by Wicked Barley Brewing in the afternoon for a great craft brew and catch your athlete as they are headed back towards downtown

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Green shading on the map is the Bolles School - but any spot on San Jose Blvd will work. Just be careful with parking!

the bike (western loop section)

We're going to divide the loop portion of the bike course into two sections. This area is pretty spread out, though, but both offer by far the best spectating spots on the bike course.

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The western part of the loop is within the Nocatee area of town - an up & coming section with lovely houses, good food, and more.

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  • The mid-point of Valley Ridge Rd offers two good vantage points. Park in the Publix parking lot or head a bit further south to the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville lot

  • Alternatively, park in the Publix lot at Crosswater Parkway and head slightly north on foot to where athletes will come off Nocatee Parkway onto Valley Ridge Rd. 

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the bike (eastern loop section)

​The eastern part of the loop offers a few prime spectating locations, plus a long section along A1A where you might be able to catch a glimpse (though parking might be tough)

  • Athletes will navigate the Palm Valley Bridge 4 times on their ride - Setting up camp on the bridge might be a great option. UPDATE - Parking under the bridge may be available, but do not attempt to get under the bridge by turning from Nocatee Parkway / Palm Valley Rd due to road closures. You can try heading there from Solana Rd & Roscoe Blvd from the north. Be cyclist aware and very patient with traffic, as you will be on the bike course.

  • BONUS - hit up Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill underneath the bridge on Roscoe Rd for some great company and food. Just be sure to watch your tracker so you can get back outside to see your athlete! UPDATE - DO NOT ATTEMPT to get to Palm Valley Outdoors from Nocatee Parkway / Palm Valley Rd. Road closures will prevent you from turning onto S. Roscoe Blvd. Instead, try SLOWLY heading down Solana Rd to Roscoe Blvd from the north. Be cyclist aware and very patient with traffic.

  • Park at Mickler's Landing Park and walk up to the corner of A1A and Mickler's Rd to see your athlete take the corner.  

  • BONUS - Mickler's Landing has a fantastic beach access - so you can get your Vitamin Sea while you're waiting on your athlete!

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The Palm Valley Bridge may offer you the opportunity to see your athlete 4 times!  Park underneath the bridge and walk up to the bridge for prime viewing!

the run (and finishline)

The Ironman Jacksonville run course offers unparalleled options to see your athlete! The three-lap nature of the course really makes this easy. But BEWARE - parking on the run course is going to be DIFFICULT. You should consider parking a few streets off the course and walking a bit.

  • Memorial Park (transition) and Riverside Park (753 Park St) offer great viewing locations, and they're less than 1/2 mile apart from each other!

  • The entire Northbank riverwalk from transition towards Ironman Village will be open and accessible

  • All along Oak Street will be great! (see parking comment above, though)

  • Willow Branch Park (2870 Sydney St) may be a good option as well

  • DO NOT MISS the finish line. Head there with plenty of time to see your athlete cross.  It may take you longer than you expect to travel to the finish line area and park!

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The Ironman Jacksonville run course is very spectator friendly.  Check out one of the three parks on the course, anywhere on Oak Street, the Northbank Riverwalk, and the finish line experience!

EXCURSIONS & THINGS TO DO

Let's face it - your athlete is going to be on the bike for a while.  Maybe for a long while. You'll certainly want to go see them - but you also may not want to be sitting on the side of the road all day waiting for your athlete. So....what to do in the meantime?

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Jacksonville is a HUGE city with lots of different opportunities.  Kill time strategically. Plan some adventures, but keep an eye on your Ironman tracker so you know when to head back to the race course!

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Here are some options:

Outdoor adventures

  • Hit up Jacksonville's Beaches.  Head to Mickler's Landing. Check out the Jacksonville Beach pier (there's also great shopping and restaurants there). Just don't forget your beach towel and sunscreen!

  • Head south on A1A to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Reserve and do some hiking along coastal paddocks

  • Go north on A1A to Hanna Park and experience the beach, natural Florida, hiking and more. You can even rent kayaks there!

  • Riverside Arts Market will be open Saturday morning, and is right on the Ironman Jax course, right below the Fuller Warren Bridge and near the swim exit. Check out great local craftsmen, artists, and produce from local farms!

Check out our history

  • Head south to Saint Augustine - the oldest city in the United States. Check out the Castillo de San Marcos (a 17th century stone fort on the waterfront), and browse amazing stores and restaurants along historic St. George Street.  There's tons to see and tons to do in town - including a bunch of attractions like the Fountain of Youth, the Lightner Museum, the San Sebastian Winery, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and more. Keep in mind that Saint Augustine is roughly 45 minutes away from downtown Jacksonville and tends to be very crowded on Saturdays. Keep this in mind and plan accordingly if you head there.

  • The USS Orleck naval museum (610 E. Bay St.) in downtown Jacksonville will give you a glimpse into Jacksonville's rich naval history. 

  • Fort Caroline & Kingsley Plantation showcase old Florida - both from the native American perspective as well as early settlers.

Wildlife & Animal Encounters

FOOD, BEVERAGES, & LIBATIONS

Nutrition and hydration will be exceptionally important to your athlete on race day. They'll literally be eating and drinking all day.  And so should you!  But, honestly, do you really want to scarf down gel after gel and drink a bunch of electrolyte laden drinks?  Probably not!

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Plus - if you're hangry, you're not going to be a great sherpa and support person.  

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Never fear - here's a deep listing of options for you to consider.  Some are downtown and on (or very close to the course); others are out on the bike course in Nocatee and the beaches.

Coffee Shops

Downtown

Nocatee / Ponte Vedra Beach

  • Foxtail Coffee (PVB). 260 Front St

  • The Kookaburra Nocatee. 351 Town Plaza Ave

Downtown (Northbank) Restaurants

  • Carolina Jax Hamburgers. 2548 Oak St.

  • Hawkers Asian Street Food. 1001 Park St.

  • River & Post. 1000 Riverside Ave.

  • Vale Healthy Kitchen. 90 Riverside Ave.

  • European Street Cafe. 2753 Park St.

  • Kickbacks Gastropub. 910 King St.

  • Sweet Theory Baking Co. 1243 King St.

  • Spliff's Gastropub. 100 E. Forsyth St.

Downtown (Southbank) Restaurants

Nocatee & the Beaches Restaurants

  • Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill. 377 S. Roscoe Blvd.

  • Palm Valley Fish Camp. 299 Roscoe Blvd N.

  • Valley Smoke. 11 S. Roscoe Blvd.

  • Barbara Jean's on the Water. 15 S. Roscoe Blvd

  • V Pizza & Julep. 154 Canal Blvd.

  • Metro Diner. 340 Front St.

  • M Shack Nocatee. 641 Crosswater Pkwy

  • First Watch. 295 Pine Lake Dr.

  • Treylor Park Nocatee. 158 Marketside Ave.​

Brews & Libations

  • Ruby Beach Brewing. 228 E. Forsyth St

  • Pour Taproom. 61 N. Laura St.

  • The Volstead Speakeasy. 115 W. Adams St.

  • ​Keg & Coin Games & Pub. 1271 King St.

  • Kickbacks Gastropub. 910 King St.

  • Fishweir Brewing Co. 1183 Edgewood Ave S.

  • Hoptinger Bier Garden & Sausage House. 1037 Park St.

  • Aardwolf Brewing Company. 1461 Hendricks Ave.

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