This year’s PPD Beach2Battleship Triathlon has lured a record number of participants, organizers said. The sold-out competition on October 29 will feature 1,875 triathletes from 43 states and five countries outside the U.S.

A total of 800 participants are registered for the full iron distance portion of the event, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. The other participants will compete in the half iron distance portion.

The race will begin at 7 a.m. at the southern tip of Wrightsville Beach and finish at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in downtown Wilmington. Coordinators are expecting approximately 6,000 spectators.

The event, now in its fourth year, generates significant economic returns for the Greater Wilmington area. Estimates provided by the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau put the Beach2Battleship’s total economic impact at $3.9 million, with a direct spending figure of about $1.5 million. Those figures are based on the predicted number of people who travel here to compete, the average size of their party and the number of days they stay in the area.

The PPD Beach2Battleship Triathlon is an internationally recognized iron distance and half iron distance triathlon. Its title sponsor is Wilmington-based PPD, Inc., which views the event as a way to support the community and an opportunity to educate the public on the vital role of clinical research and participation in clinical trials to deliver new medicines to improve health and save lives.

All of the event's net proceeds are contributed to the Wilmington Family YMCA. For more information, visit www.beach2battleship.com.