Pembrokeshire County Council has issued some information to help residents and visitors prepare for IRONMAN Wales.

The county is set to welcome thousands of athletes next month as they tackle the challenging course in Tenby.

The main event takes place on September 22, with full and partial road closures in place to safeguard competitors and road users.

This year, the 2.4-mile swim at North Beach will kick off at 7.30am, half an hour later than usual, due to tide timings.

Consequently, the last predicted finisher is expected to cross the line around 1am.

After the swim, competitors embark on a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run.

Restrictions will also be implemented in Tenby town centre on September 21 for the IRONKIDS races.

The council has said that full details of road closures and alternative routes are available on the IRONMAN website.

The A40 and A477 will remain open and unaffected to facilitate access east-west throughout the event.

Emergency services will maintain full access.

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: "As the excitement for this year’s IRONMAN builds, it is important for anyone who thinks they may be affected by road closures to plan ahead and check the comprehensive maps made available online.

"IRONMAN Wales is in the top five globally when it comes to athletes’ choice and it is a fantastic opportunity to showcase what Pembrokeshire has to offer, but we also want to ensure that all our residents have any disruption reduced wherever possible."

A park and ride shuttle bus will be running on Saturday and Sunday from Carew Airfield and Saundersfoot.

Any IRONMAN Wales access questions can be directed to wales@ironmanroadaccess.com or call 03330 11 66 00 and providing the following details: Name, telephone number, journey start postcode, journey end postcode, time of departure and details of enquiry.

The e-mail address will not be monitored on the event weekend, so people are advised to plan ahead.