Hundreds of volunteers needed for Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is seeking hundreds of volunteers to help with the Ironman 70.3 triathlon May 13.

The inaugural event, which starts in Lake Sonoma and ends in downtown Santa Rosa, is still searching for more than 500 volunteers.

“We really need volunteers and we encourage people with free time to sign up,” said Erin Morris, a city planner helping organize the event.

There are plenty of mundane jobs still to be filled, included staffing check-in booths and gear drop-off locations, monitoring parking lots and picking up garbage. There is a slew of cool jobs, too.

Lifeguards are needed to perform water rescues if necessary. Kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders also are needed to help monitor athletes during the 1.2 mile swim.

Body markers are needed to write the ID numbers on athletes in permanent marker. There is even a “sunscreen team” that helps athletes apply sunscreen as they transition from water to bike.

Others get to staff aid stations, hand out medals and even give the aching athletes post-race rub-downs.

Thousands of athletes will complete a ?1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride to Santa Rosa, and ?13.1 mile run along Santa Rosa Creek that begins and finishes near the newly reunited Old Courthouse Square,

Anyone interested in volunteering can register at srcity.org/IRONMAN.

Groups interested in volunteering may be eligible for a grant through the IRONMAN Foundation.

For more information, contact the volunteer director at santarosa70.3@ironmanvolunteers.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @srcitybeat.