Due to inclement weather, and for the safety of young participants, the Hy-Vee IronKids Omaha triathlon scheduled for this morning at Burke High School has been cancelled.

Heavy thunderstorms overnight dumped 2.5 to 3 inches of rain over the already-saturated metro area. With rain falling, lightning lingering in the area and standing water on parts of the bike course, Hy-Vee and IronKids officials made the call to cancel the event about 45 minutes prior to the scheduled 8 a.m. start of the Senior division race.

Today’s cancellation comes on the heels of the decision to cancel next weekend’s scheduled IronKids event in Sioux City. The Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA in South Sioux City, the race venue, has been evacuated due to the threat of flooding. To help the community deal with the ongoing flood emergency, IronKids is donating $3,000 to the YMCA to assist with flood-related expenses, and local Hy-Vee stores will distribute Hy-Vee IronKids products and merchandise to kids this Friday, July 1.

Participants who registered for the Omaha and Sioux City IronKids races are being notified that they can transfer their registrations to any other IronKids event, including Lincoln on August 20th or West Des Moines on September 3rd.

Many thanks to the employees who turned out this morning in Omaha to volunteer and stayed through the wind and rain to assist participants and help take down the course. We know employees and families in Omaha/Council Bluffs, Sioux City and other communities in Hy-Vee land have been personally affected to varying degrees by flooding, and we truly appreciate their dedication and determination during this trying time. All of us are hoping for clearer skies and better weather ahead.