Lake Nighthorse Triathlon
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Event overview
The 2026 Lake Nighthorse Triathlon - Sprint and Olympic is scheduled for September 5, 2026 in Durango, Colorado at Lake Nighthorse Recreation Area (1795 CR 210, Durango, CO 81301). The event offers Individual Sprint and Individual Olympic races and three Sprint relay categories: Male, Female, and Coed. The Olympic race uses two laps of the Sprint course for each discipline. Minimum age to enter is 15.
Course and safety
The Sprint swim is 750 meters (820 yards) in open water at Lake Nighthorse, which is at about 6,900 ft elevation. Organizers advise that swimmers be proficient in freestyle and have practiced open water lake swimming; they recommend the ability to swim the equivalent of 1,000 meters non-stop in a pool before entering the Sprint swim. The bike course includes climbs, and the run course is rolling and mostly on natural dirt and gravel surfaces.
Registration and sanctioning
Entries listed on the event page show available spots and prices for each event: Individual Sprint ($91.10), Individual Olympic ($122.90), and Sprint Relays ($133.50). Registration opens January 31, 2026 and the listed individual event entries show 150 spots available. The race is sanctioned by USA Triathlon (USAT), which the event notes provides safety standards, insurance coverage, national ranking points, and qualification opportunities for championships. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
