Schedule and packet pickup
Event Vendors
We're pleased to announce that Little House Lattes will be on site on race day providing both participants and spectators with lots of delicious options.
Sandling Beach Triathlon 2027
- Date
- Saturday, October 2, 2027
- Start time
- 8:00 AM start (New York)
- Location
- Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Entry fee
- From $85 · goes up to $90 on Jan 1, 2027
- Included with entry
- Includes a shirt
Register on RunSignup
Registration is open.
We earn a small commission when you register through this link, at no cost to you. Details
Add to calendar: Apple or Outlook · Google
Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International - AquaBike | AquabikeOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:00 AM | $100$105 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
| International - Individual | Olympic TriathlonOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:00 AM | $105$110 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
| International - Relay | Olympic TriathlonRelay or teamOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:00 AM | $155$175 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
| Sprint - AquaBike | AquabikeOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:15 AM | $85$90 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
| Sprint - Individual | Sprint TriathlonOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:15 AM | $90$95 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
| Sprint - Relay | Sprint TriathlonRelay or teamOpen water swim | Oct 2, 20278:15 AM | $135$155 after Jan 1, 2027 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
Register on RunSignup
The Aquabike fee goes up to $90 on Jan 1, 2027.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- International - AquaBike: $100 until Dec 31, then $105 until Feb 28, then $110 until Apr 30, then $115 until Jun 30, then $120 until Aug 31, then $130 until Sep 28, then $135 until Oct 2.
- International - Individual: $105 until Dec 31, then $110 until Feb 28, then $115 until Apr 30, then $120 until Jun 30, then $125 until Aug 31, then $135 until Sep 28, then $140 until Oct 2.
- International - Relay: $155 until Dec 31, then $175 until Feb 28, then $185 until Apr 30, then $195 until Jun 30, then $205 until Aug 31, then $215 until Sep 28, then $225 until Oct 2.
- Sprint - AquaBike: $85 until Dec 31, then $90 until Feb 28, then $95 until Apr 30, then $100 until Jun 30, then $105 until Aug 31, then $110 until Sep 28, then $120 until Oct 2.
Online registration closes Oct 2, 2027, unless the race fills first.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:08 AM, and the International - AquaBike starts at 8:00 AM. The start sits about 330 feet above sea level.
Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.
Start location and course
Sandling Beach State Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC 27587
The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.
Where Sandling Beach Triathlon ranks
- No. 43 of 50 on Largest olympic triathlons in the US
- No. 46 of 50 on Cheapest olympic triathlons in the US
National lists computed from results, entry fees, course maps and water temperatures; they refresh through the day.
2026 results
All results (6 years)Sprint - Individual
130
finishers
2:00:21
median
1:30:35
winning time
44% / 56%
women / men
International - Individual
129
finishers
2:55:34
median
2:11:52
winning time
31% / 69%
women / men
Sprint - AquaBike
7
finishers
1:31:25
median
1:02:05
winning time
29% / 71%
women / men
Aggregated from official results for Sandling Beach Triathlon. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at Sandling Beach Triathlon?
At the 2026 Sprint - Individual, the fastest tenth finished in 1:42:43 or better, the top quarter in 1:49:36, and half the field in 2:00:21; the last tenth came in after 2:23:18.
At the 2026 International - Individual, the fastest tenth finished in 2:28:25 or better, the top quarter in 2:37:07, and half the field in 2:55:34; the last tenth came in after 3:24:01.
At the 2026 Sprint - AquaBike, the fastest tenth finished in 1:09:29 or better, the top quarter in 1:16:08, and half the field in 1:31:25; the last tenth came in after 1:48:01.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 1:49:32 | 1:48:57 |
| 20-29 | 1:48:05 | 1:52:30 |
| 30-39 | 1:56:00 | 1:43:17 |
| 40-49 | 1:52:07 | 1:42:40 |
| 50-59 | n/a | 1:43:41 |
| 60-69 | n/a | 1:45:47 |
Groups with fewer than five finishers are left out. Awards vary by race; check the race's rules.
What would my time get me?
Where a finish time would have placed in 2026.
Swim, bike and run splits at Sandling Beach Triathlon
At the 2026 Sprint - Individual, the bike decided the most: the middle of the field lost about 11:27 to the top quarter there, 70% of the gap across the three legs.
Compared with a typical sprint triathlon in North Carolina, the median swim here was 2:57 slower and the bike 25:54 slower (swim lengths differ from race to race).
| Leg | Top 10% | Top 25% | Median | Slowest 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swim | 13:05 | 14:55 | 16:46 | 19:03+ |
| T1 | 1:22 | 1:42 | 2:19 | 3:26+ |
| Bike | 1:00:06 | 1:06:09 | 1:11:52 | 1:18:17+ |
| T2 | 0:48 | 0:57 | 1:18 | 1:52+ |
| Run | 22:24 | 24:34 | 26:27 | 30:39+ |
Each column ranks finishers on that leg alone, from the race's published results. T1 and T2 are transitions.
At the 2026 International - Individual, the bike decided the most: the middle of the field lost about 11:03 to the top quarter there, 46% of the gap across the three legs.
Compared with a typical olympic triathlon in North Carolina, the median swim here was 0:57 faster, the bike 2:10 faster and the run 2:50 faster (swim lengths differ from race to race).
| Leg | Top 10% | Top 25% | Median | Slowest 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swim | 25:06 | 27:00 | 30:16 | 33:38+ |
| T1 | 1:15 | 1:35 | 2:19 | 3:06+ |
| Bike | 1:13:04 | 1:19:10 | 1:25:25 | 1:34:14+ |
| T2 | 0:46 | 1:05 | 1:36 | 2:13+ |
| Run | 43:39 | 46:20 | 52:55 | 58:46+ |
Each column ranks finishers on that leg alone, from the race's published results. T1 and T2 are transitions.
Finishers by year
Up 20 percent since 2021.
233
2021
160
2022
122
2023
157
2024
234
2025
280
2026
All events combined, from official results.
Sandling Beach Triathlon Sprint Triathlon year by year
From 2021 to 2026, the field went from 117 to 130 finishers, and the median time rose from 1:59:31 to 2:00:21.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 130 (+21%) | 2:00:21 | under 1:42:43 | 1:30:35 |
| 2025 | 107 (+32%) | 1:53:30 | under 1:37:43 | 1:23:34 |
| 2024 | 81 (+25%) | 1:56:07 | under 1:38:41 | 1:27:57 |
| 2023 | 65 (-23%) | 1:17:30 | under 1:01:45 | 54:17 |
| 2022 | 84 (-28%) | 2:03:49 | under 1:40:41 | 1:34:15 |
| 2021 | 117 | 1:59:31 | under 1:38:02 | 1:27:54 |
From each year's official results for the Sprint Triathlon; virtual options are left out.
How fast is it?
Slower than most North Carolina sprint triathlons
The fastest quarter of the 2026 sprint triathlon field finished under 1:49:36, against 1:26:47 in a typical North Carolina sprint triathlon, so times here run 26 percent slower.
- Olympic Triathlon: Faster than most US olympic triathlons. The fastest quarter of the 2026 olympic triathlon field finished under 2:37:07, against 2:43:48 in a typical US olympic triathlon, so times here run 4 percent faster.
Compares the fastest quarter of each field, so walkers and first-timers do not skew it. It reflects the course and the field together: a flat course, cool weather, or a competitive crowd all make times faster.
Typical race-day weather
Around October 2 the day usually runs from 60°F at dawn to 78°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 19% of days. Cold snaps dip to 51°F and hot years reach 82°F.
Based on 75 days within a week of the date over the last 5 years, from historical weather for the start area. Not a forecast.
From the race's page
What the organizers of Sandling Beach Triathlon cover on their registration page, in brief.
Course
International Bike Course
* The International bike course takes place on some of the most familiar and popular roads for Raleigh area cyclists. * The course is a lollipop design; 5 miles out to the start of the loop - a 15 mile loop - and then 5 miles back to the…
Awards
Awards & Award Categories
Claiming Awards: Participants who win an award must be present at the awards ceremony in order to claim an award. If an award winner can't stay for the awards ceremony, they need to make arrangements with another participant to claim their…
Rules and FAQ
Deferrals & Transfers
There are no deferrals or transfers allowed after 9/21/2025. Registered participants are allowed to defer or transfer their race registration to another Set Up Events owned race at any time UP TO two weeks before race day. Deferral &…
Rules and FAQ
Event Rules
USAT Sanctioned: This event is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event. Cut-Off Times: Sprint: All participants must complete the Sprint distance race in under 2 hours - 45 minutes from the start of their swim. All participants must also meet the…
Rules and FAQ
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather the following procedures will be followed: The event will be postponed in hopes the inclement weather will pass. If the inclement weather does not pass in time to complete the event safely in the original…
Race details
- Where
- Sandling Beach State Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC 27587Map
- Course
- Road
- Start elevation
- About 330 feet
- Included with entry
- Tshirt Size OR No Shirt/No Swag; Shirt; T-Shirt
- Distances
- Sprint Triathlon, Olympic Triathlon, Aquabike
- Editions
- 2027 (Oct 2, 2027), 2026 (Oct 3, 2026), 2025 (Oct 4, 2025), 2024 (Oct 5, 2024), 2023 (Oct 7, 2023), 2022 (Oct 8, 2022)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Quick answers
- When is Sandling Beach Triathlon?
- Saturday, October 2, 2027, starting at 8:00 AM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $85 before processing fees, and rises to $90 on Jan 1, 2027.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Oct 2, 2027, unless the race fills first.
- Do athletes get a shirt or medal?
- Entry includes a shirt, according to the race's registration page. Check it for sizes and whether kids' races get the same.
- What distances are offered?
- Sprint Triathlon, Olympic Triathlon, Aquabike.
- How big is it, and how fast?
- In 2026, 130 athletes finished the Sprint - Individual; the median finish was 2:00:21 and the winner finished in 1:30:35.
- Is it a fast course?
- The fastest quarter of the 2026 sprint triathlon field finished under 1:49:36, against 1:26:47 in a typical North Carolina sprint triathlon, so times here run 26 percent slower.
- Where does it start?
- Sandling Beach State Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
From the organizers
Join us on Saturday, October 2nd for the Sandling Beach Triathlon for the Final Round of the 2027 North Carolina Triathlon Series.
These two races - Sprint and International - take place at Sandling Beach State Recreational Area at Falls Lake.