Just what a slow, sluggish and otherwise laggard economy needs: 2,000 intense, committed and focused competitors to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and then run another 13.1 miles.

All while dropping a few dollars in town, in connection with Ironman 70.3 Kansas.

“The cash register certainly rings more,” said Paul Davis, general manager of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, 804 Mass. “It’s quite welcome.”

The second annual event is set for June 14 at Clinton Lake, but the real economic action already is gearing up and will be expected to continue through the race itself and, indirectly, for months to come.

Organizers expect the event to pump $2 million of direct spending into the Lawrence economy, as 2,000 athletes from 50 states and 13 countries converge with another 4,000 to 6,000 family, friends and supporters.

Unlike other participatory sporting events that draw from a local or regional base, the Ironman 70.3 Kansas casts a wider net. Fewer than 300 of the registered competitors reside within 100 miles of Lawrence, meaning there will be many more people driving and flying their way into the area.

“Too bad Lawrence doesn’t have an international airport,” said Ryan Robinson, a Lawrence resident and triathlete who is the race’s co-director. “All the hotels have been booked for five months, and it’s spilled over into Kansas City and Topeka. We even have 150 people camping out at the lake this year, on the (state park) side.”

‘A very affluent crowd’

Such visitors don’t hesitate to spend money, Robinson said. The average income for a triathlete is $161,000, and many of them are coming into town for three days and nights — ready to eat well, shop with purpose and otherwise prepare for an elite sporting event.

“It’s a very affluent crowd,” Robinson said. “It’s an overachiever sport, and those attributes spill over into their professional and personal lives.”

Jessica Weidensall, a spokeswoman for the Ironman organization in Tampa, Fla., said that the 70.3 events — considered a “half” Ironman — were the fastest-growing segment of the program.

“Full” Ironman events require hours upon hours of continuous, rigorous training in order to swim for 2.4 miles, bike for another 112 and then run a full marathon. The Ironman organization also sanctions IronGirl events for women, and IronKids competitions for youths from 6 to 15 years old.

But it is the lineup of 70.3-mile events that continues to build momentum, as participants find the course length both incredibly challenging and reasonably attainable while balancing family and employment demands, Weidensall said. Events continue to sell out, even as more sites are added.

“People are so dedicated about this sport, and they’re passionate about it,” she said. “They’re still registering for events, to race and to travel. Of course, with the economy the way it is, they may not stay as long, but they’re still racing and registering. We’re incredibly lucky.”

Hotels welcome boost

Bob Sanner, executive director of the Lawrence Sports Corp. and director of sports marketing for the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau, is looking forward to the expected visitors and their spending.

Like elsewhere in the country, he said, Lawrence’s hotel occupancy has been “a little soft” so far this year. Commencement always fills rooms, but hotels and motels need strong events to help boost their numbers during summer months.

“Ironman is coming at the perfect time,” he said.

At Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, Davis already is gearing up for the expected crowds. Competitors’ bikes soon will begin arriving at the shop, for assembly and tune-ups leading up to the race.

While many competitors won’t be buying bikes, plenty of them will be looking for “support products”: CO2 cartridges to inflate flat tires, energy supplements to keep their muscles going on the course, or even cleats, to replace the pairs they’ve left at home.

Then there will be a need to pick up souvenirs to remember their trip to Kansas.

“It’s a great way to introduce us to an even bigger clientele,” Davis said.