Hundreds of athletes will hit the road Saturday morning for the Lake Norman YMCA 2012 Triathlon, significantly affecting traffic on local streets during the race, town officials say.

Bike riders will travel from the Y out Davidson Street, onto North Main Street towards Davidson, and will return to Davidson Street via Potts Street. Runners also will race on local roads. Police will stop traffic as needed to accommodate the race, and strongly urge drivers to avoid the area between 7 and 10 a.m. Alternate routes to Davidson or Mooresville include I-77, Davidson Concord Road, and East Rocky River Road.

The triathlon includes a 750-meter swim in the lake, a 17-mile bike ride through Davidson and beyond, and a 5K run on neighborhood streets. The event benefits the Lake Norman YMCA.

Already 605 participants have signed up to race, including people from North and South Carolina and as far as Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Georgia, leaving 295 spots open.

WANT TO RACE?

Registration is open through Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 7 a.m. Click here to register.