Volunteers provide support to athletes at the finish line at IRONMAN Maryland 2014.

(Plus a 6th factoid you won’t believe!)

1 – The Athlete Welcome Ceremony will be spectacular!

DATE: Oct. 1

TIME: 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION: The Amphitheater adjacent to the Visitor Center, overlooking the Choptank River

THREE REASONS NOT TO MISS IT:

1. Athletes and their families from around the world will form their “first impression” of our beautiful community (and we know we want that to be awesome)

2. It’s a stunning setting to enjoy the ceremony while also enjoying local shucked oysters, oyster fritters and crab cakes

3. The walkway from the Visitor Center to the Amphitheater will be lined with over 2,000 luminaries — one for each athlete who is competing in IRONMAN Maryland. It will be spectacular and we want everyone to come see it and help kick-off a great race weekend!

2 – IRONMAN Maryland 2015 is BIGGER, with 500 more registered athletes than last year.

Registration for this year’s IRONMAN Maryland sold out in less than three months, which is remarkably fast for a new race (pat on the back to all who helped make last year such a success!). Two things to be aware of:

• Athlete registration opens at 9 a.m. on Sept, 30 so you’ll see cars rolling into town starting that day.

• The 140.6 mile race starts at 6:40 a.m. Oct. 3 at Great Marsh Park. Athletes have until midnight Saturday to cross the finish line at Long Wharf to hear the words they’ve trained so hard to hear: YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! Come out and cheer the finishers — it’s awesome!

And, when you see an athlete around town, ask to take an “athlete selfie” and post to your Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts with a good luck message using #Ironlove and #ironmanmaryland. Your posts will be shared by fans around the world and will help spread the word that Dorchester County is the place to be Oct. 3, 2015!

3 – We’ve gone from 1,200 volunteers to over 2,000 volunteers this year and there’s still a chance for YOU to volunteer!

Volunteers are critical to the success of this event and the athletes are so appreciative of the time and effort put in by each and every volunteer. There are still some really great volunteer opportunities available, so sign up today. One thing is for sure: volunteering at an IRONMAN event will be memorable ... and might be life changing! (If you’d like to volunteer, it’s easy to see what spots are available and sign up at www.ironclubmd.com.)

4 – “IRONFest” will take place downtown on the same day as the big race!

Oct. 3 will be a HUGE day in downtown Cambridge! Come out and enjoy the first-ever IRONFest featuring live music, food vendors, flowing beer, and, of course, IRONMAN Maryland athletes running right through the heart of our historic downtown. It’s guaranteed to be a festive, fun and inspiring atmosphere!

5 – The world spotlight is on Cambridge ... be a part of it!

When IRONMAN rolls into town, they bring the eyes of the world with them. IRONMAN is an internationally-recognized brand and event, and IRONMAN athletes are admired worldwide. As the hand-picked location for IRONMAN Maryland, Cambridge and Dorchester County are hosts to the world, literally — an estimated 2,000 athletes from 29 countries will compete in IRONMAN Maryland 2015. Thousands of visitors, four days of activities, and world class athletic competition bring real benefits to our economy, our small town reputation and regional tourism. There is so much to #ironlove about #ironmanmaryland!

And, now, #6

Have you ever travelled half way around the world (25 hours or so) to realize a dream? Well, two IRONMAN athletes are doing just that by travelling from Australia (Perth and Queensland) to Cambridge, Md to compete in IRONMAN Maryland 2015. That’s almost 10,000 miles each (which makes 140.6 miles look like a hop, skip and a jump!). So, if you encounter these Aussies over race weekend, give them huge high-fives, take selfies and post with #ironmanmarlyand and #ironaussie. It’s incredible that someone would travel so far to see us over here in Cambridge. Let’s give these and ALL of the athletes tons of #ironlove!