Christiansburg this weekend plays host to a triathlon that will draw over 200 participants to its aquatic center.

Sunday's TriAdventure Summer Sprint starts at 7 a.m. with a 400-meter swim, followed by a 12.5 mile bike ride loop along Mud Pike Road, ending with a 3.1-mile run through Cambria and back to the aquatic center.

Kelly McPherson with TriAdventure said 236 seasoned triathletes and newcomers have signed up for the event, which she hopes can become an annual competition.

"It's going to be a mix. There's going to be some people who have won, and then we've got tons of people there who are trying their first runs," she said.

The event will benefit the local nonprofit Fitness in Action, which provides training and the opportunity to participate in triathlons to underprivileged children.

Planning for the competition started in January. Since then she said it's taken ample time and energy to secure sponsors, recruit volunteers and obtain advertising and permits from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Hosting the event in town provides a unique opportunity to local triathletes because most travel to other areas for competitions, she said. While locals can now sleep in their own beds, McPherson said, competitors from Florida, North Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, Ohio and other parts of Virginia are making the trip to Christiansburg for the weekend.

Fun and safety are the main goals this weekend, McPherson said. The ideal routes were chosen after careful planning and working with town police, she said. McPherson said TriAdventure and the town have the capacity to make the event bigger, so the hope is that next year even more come out to participate.

With an event this size comes attention to traffic. Drivers traveling from 5:30 a.m. to noon may experience closures, detours and delays, according to town spokeswoman Becky Wilburn.

Plans call for certain sections of Depot Street to be reduced to one lane, while other sections along the triathlon route will be closed during the event. A list of suggested detours are listed at christiansburg.org.

The town sent out phone calls to notify residents of closures, which has given the town an opportunity to test its emergency notification system during a nonemergency, Wilburn said.

This weekend's event, she said, is another example of the "broad array of recreation opportunities" within town, allowing participants to "enjoy the scenery" and amenities Christiansburg offers.