Sink or swim

Consider this a traffic warning rather than an announcement of a sporting event:
Sunday, the L.A. Triathlon will weave through our region, attracting nearly 3,000 competitors who'll start with a nine-tenths of a mile ocean swim off Venice Beach, followed by a 24.8-mile bike ride from the beach through Hollywood to downtown, and finishing with a 6.2-mile (10K) run to the finish at Staples Center.

Prepare your travels accordingly. Heavy traffic will probably occur between 7and 9 a.m. somewhere along the route. The awards ceremony at Staples starts at noon.

For more specifics, go to the triathlon's official website.
But here's what they say about the traffic issues:
"The Triathlon will begin at Venice Beach at 6:45 am with the swim segment. The bike course will proceed through the Fairfax District, Museum Row, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Downtown, Chinatown, and Elysian Park areas. Crossing points are listed for intersections that cars can cross at the direction of DOT traffic personnel, considering the safety of the bikers or runners. All streets will be opened by noon.
It is advised that persons with unessential travel avoid driving in areas affected by the event. Vehicles will not be allowed on the course at any time. However, several crossing points have been designated to allow traffic to cross the route.
The Department of Transportation will be aggressively enforcing all temporary parking restrictions for this event to secure the safety of the participants and to facilitate the movement of traffic around road closures. Typical vehicle recovery costs are in excess of $130, which does not include the $60 citation fee."