Cops: Expect Traffic Delays This Weekend During Races

This weekend, you may want to plan ahead as police said four races in Springs, Amagansett and Montauk will tie up traffic. 

On Saturday, the seventh annual Hamptons Marathon and Half-Marathon, in addition to a 5K, will be held in Springs and Amagansett, while the MightyMan Sprint Distance will be held in Montauk. On Sunday, the MightMan continues with the Olympic Distance and Iron-Man Distance races. 

It is the third year in a row that the events are being held on the same weekend. 

"We're hoping people will be understanding," East Hampton Town Police Lt. Chris Hatch said on Tuesday. 

The Hamptons Marathon and Half-Marathon start from the Springs School at 8 a.m., and a 5K follows at 8:15 a.m. School Street from Sandlot Lane to Old Stone Highway will be completely closed, and the area around it will begin getting congested at 5 a.m., Hatch said. 

The route goes through Accabonac Road, Old Stone Highway, Neck Path, Devon, and up to Cranberry Hole Road and Nappeague Meadow Road. Old Stone Highway will be one of the more congested areas that drivers should avoid, if possible, during the race. He said motorists can expect the traffic to be impacted for six to seven hours. 

Meanwhile in Montauk, the Sprint triathlon — a 750-meter swim, 17K bike route and 5K run — will start at Fort Pond at 6:40 a.m. The traffic will be congested on the northside of the village down to West Lake Drive, starting around 6 a.m., Hatch said. It should be cleared up by 11 a.m.

On Sunday, MightyMan Olympic Distance Triathlon — a 1.5K swim, 40K bicycle ride, and 10K run — and the MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon — a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run — will start from the same location at 6:40 a.m.

More people are expected to take part on Sunday, Hatch said, so traffic will begin as early as 5:30 a.m. It should be clear by 3 p.m., he said. 

The Hamptons Marathon and its related events raise money for Southampton Hospital, Project MOST, and the East Hampton Day Care Learning Center. It has donated over $220,000 to the hospital and Project MOST since its inception. 

Beneficiaries of the MightyMan events include the Montauk Fire Department, the East High School girls swim team, i-tri, and Exchange Ambulance of the Islips, according to the event website.