The Vineyard is home to road races, bike races and fishing derbies, but next September athletes may have the opportunity to compete in an Island triathlon. Competitors would swim one mile across Katama Bay, bike 26 miles through Chilmark and run 6.2 miles to the cliffs in Aquinnah; part of the proceeds from the race would go to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

“I’ve been coming to Martha’s Vineyard for my entire life and it was recently that I realized how great a place it would be for a triathlon,” Matthew Brackman, a race director from Odyssey TriSport, told the Edgartown selectmen on Monday. “It’s an ideal location given all the swimming, biking, and running you could desire.”

Mr. Brackman received mixed reactions when he presented his vision of the Olympic distance event to selectmen in Edgartown, Aquinnah and Chilmark this week. Edgartown and Aquinnah selectmen were receptive to the idea, but Chilmark police chief Brian Cioffi expressed concern about 500 to 600 runners on South Road.

“For the [Chilmark] Road Race we shut Middle Road down; we never shut down Beetlebung Corner and even that gets congested,” Mr. Cioffi said. “I don’t want to ruin people’s weekend . . . I just have my reservations that way.”

Mr. Brackman said Odyssey Tri-Sport will foot the bill for policing and would consider alternate routes. Edgartown and Aquinnah selectmen said they would approve the event as long as police chiefs, harbor masters and emergency responders agree; the Chilmark selectmen will bring it up again at their next meeting. The proposed date for the event is Sept. 11 or 18 of next year.