Road closures expected for triathlon Saturday

JUPITER — The fourth annual Turtleman Triathlon is taking place this weekend, which means residents can expect road closures.

The event will be held Saturday at Carlin Park in memory of Dr. Frank Cook, who was an orthopedic surgeon at Jupiter Medical Center for almost 25 years. Cook was found dead at age 59 on the beach in 2014.

“A lot of my employees are athletes and were treated by Dr. Cook in the past,” said Linda Neary, founder of the triathlon and owner of Tri Bike Run in Juno Beach. “It’s still hard to believe that he is not with us anymore.”

Over 600 participants signed up for either the sprint or the super sprint, which will start in waves.

“Every year this event gets bigger and bigger,” Neary said.

The super sprint will start about 7 a.m. and is a 300-yard swim, 5-mile bike ride and 1.2-mile run. The sprint triathlon will begin at 7:20 a.m. and is a 600-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run. Registration for the event has closed, but people can go to Carlin Park to watch.

The money raised from registration fees will be donated to two local charities — Always for ALS and Friends of Jupiter Beach, Neary said.

“This triathlon is run by locals, sponsored by locals and helps local organizations,” Neary said. “It’s a really great small community and hometown event.”

The following roads will be closed on Saturday from 6:30 to 10 a.m:

■ A1A from Indiantown Road south to Marcinski Road

■ A1A from Indiantown Road north to Jupiter Beach Road

■ Jupiter Beach Road east to Ocean Trail Way

■ Ocean Trail Way north to Dubois Park entrance

■ Dubois Road south to Jupiter Beach Road