If you were out for a Sunday drive, you might not even want to ride in your car this far.

But 3,400 athletes from across the world will be out for a 70.3-mile swim, bike ride and run Sunday morning in the inaugural ESi Ironman 70.3 downtown.

They say it will be the second-biggest Ironman event in the world -- with competitors from 48 states and 10 countries.

Certainly it will be another link in the chain -- along with the Masters, the Tour de Georgia, the Augusta Southern Nationals, billed as the world's richest drag boat race -- marking the Central Savannah River Area as one of the country's great outdoor sports and recreation meccas.

We can't say enough about ESi, the Augusta-based international software company that stepped up to be the title sponsor, or the Greater Augusta Sports Council that worked as hard as an Ironman to bring such an event here.

The council went after ESi in large part because its chief financial officer, Paul Butler, 67, is an Ironman himself. And being homegrown, ESi's decision-makers were right here -- in offices overlooking the Common.

Thank goodness we had the wisdom to create a sports council that could seek out great opportunities like this.

The weekend starts with a health and fitness expo at the Marriott Hotel and Suites, 10th and Reynolds, from noon to 6:30 today and 11 a.m. to 6:30 on Saturday. The competition begins bright and early Sunday morning at 7:30, after the National Anthem at 6:57.

The race ends on foot at the Augusta Common, with the top finishers expected around 11 a.m. or so. Come out and cheer them on.

Even if you have to drive there!