With 1,500 athletes scheduled to come to Lawrence June 15 for the first Ironman 70.3 Kansas, organizers say they still need helping hands.

One of the biggest demands is 10 to 15 people who own kayaks and can guide swimmers along the course at Clinton Lake during the first leg of the triathlon.

“I always tell people that’s the best spectator area there is,” event director Ryan Robinson said.

Other needs include volunteers to hand out water along the bicycle leg of the course, when the athletes will travel 56 miles in Douglas County.

Help with setting up for the race on June 15 and the expo that will be June 13 and June 14 near Ninth and New Hampshire streets are also major needs.

Organizers say for the weekend they need 100 more volunteers in addition to the 100 who have already stepped up. This will be the first of a three-year contract for the half-Ironman, and the contract could be extended.

“If we can show them we do run things smoothly and do a good job this time, it will even be better next time,” said Beverly Gardner, who helps organize Lawrence’s public summer workout, Red Dog’s Dog Days, with her husband Don “Red Dog” Gardner.

To volunteer for Ironman Kansas or to learn more details, contact Beverly Gardner through the Web site, www.reddogsdogdays.org.

“This is a community event. We’ve never had a problem pulling off community events in the past. Lawrence has a strong, active community, which makes things pretty easy,” Robinson said.