Colonial Beach Triathlon
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
Colonial Beach Triathlon
The Colonial Beach Triathlon is a multisport event held in Colonial Beach, Virginia, on the Potomac River. The festival includes two main race options and related aquabike divisions.
- Olympic race: 1.5K swim; 26 mile bike; 10K run.
- Sprint race: 750 m swim; 14 mile bike; 5K run.
Swim courses start as time trial entries in the brackish Potomac River and follow a rectangular-shaped route that parallels the shore. The course uses yellow turn buoys and orange sighting buoys placed approximately every 75 meters and never goes more than about 150 meters off shore. Historical water temperatures are reported around 80–82°F, and organizers post a temperature reading before the event with an official reading taken on race morning.
The Olympic bike is two laps of the sprint loop; it combines rolling hills and flats on well-paved roads with views of the river, marshland, and forest. The sprint bike is a mostly flat, one-loop course with three turns. Both run courses are described as pancake flat out-and-back routes along the boardwalk and Irvine Avenue, with the Olympic run offering shaded back-road miles in the middle sections. Aid stations appear approximately every mile and supply Gatorade and ice water.
The event is USA Triathlon sanctioned. Packet pickup is available at the race site the day before and on race day; participants must collect their own packets and present photo ID. Race swag includes a tech T-shirt, custom finisher medal, race socks, and free finisher photos. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
