Schedule and packet pickup
Event Vendors
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Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival 2026
- Date
- Saturday, October 3, 2026
- Start time
- 8:00 AM start (New York)
- Location
- Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Entry fee
- From $95
- Included with entry
- Includes a shirt
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Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International - AquaBike | AquabikeOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:00 AM | $115 | – |
| International - Individual | Olympic TriathlonOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:00 AM | $120 | – |
| International - Relay | Olympic TriathlonRelay or teamOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:00 AM | $200 | – |
| Sprint - AquaBike | AquabikeOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:15 AM | $95 | – |
| Sprint - Individual | Sprint TriathlonOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:15 AM | $105 | – |
| Sprint - Relay | Sprint TriathlonRelay or teamOpen water swim | Oct 3, 20268:15 AM | $160 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- International - AquaBike: $115 until Oct 3.
- International - Individual: $120 until Oct 3.
- International - Relay: $200 until Oct 3.
- Sprint - AquaBike: $95 until Oct 3.
Online registration closes Oct 3, 2026, unless the race fills first.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:09 AM, and the International - AquaBike starts at 8:00 AM.
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.
2025 results
All results (5 years)International - Individual
120
finishers
2:46:30
median
2:03:52
winning time
31% / 69%
women / men
Sprint - Individual
107
finishers
1:53:30
median
1:23:34
winning time
36% / 64%
women / men
International - AquaBike
7
finishers
1:59:17
median
1:27:51
winning time
57% / 43%
women / men
Aggregated from official results for Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival?
At the 2025 International - Individual, the fastest tenth finished in 2:20:30 or better, the top quarter in 2:33:30, and half the field in 2:46:30; the last tenth came in after 3:17:17.
At the 2025 Sprint - Individual, the fastest tenth finished in 1:37:43 or better, the top quarter in 1:46:12, and half the field in 1:53:30; the last tenth came in after 2:19:30.
At the 2025 International - AquaBike, the fastest tenth finished in 1:41:00 or better, the top quarter in 1:50:38, and half the field in 1:59:17; the last tenth came in after 2:25:46.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | n/a | 2:37:22 |
| 20-29 | 2:33:26 | 2:17:34 |
| 30-39 | 2:56:31 | 2:19:06 |
| 40-49 | n/a | 2:20:36 |
| 50-59 | 2:49:53 | 2:33:09 |
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 2025.
Finishers by year
About the same size since 2021.
233
2021
160
2022
122
2023
157
2024
234
2025
All events combined, from official results.
Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival Olympic Triathlon year by year
From 2021 to 2025, the field went from 102 to 120 finishers, and the median time dropped from 2:52:53 to 2:46:30.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 120 (+79%) | 2:46:30 | under 2:20:30 | 2:03:52 |
| 2024 | 67 (+18%) | 2:55:55 | under 2:33:54 | 2:05:25 |
| 2023 | 57 (-16%) | 1:58:03 | under 1:39:33 | 1:27:26 |
| 2022 | 68 (-33%) | 2:47:45 | under 2:22:33 | 2:15:40 |
| 2021 | 102 | 2:52:53 | under 2:25:48 | 2:10:26 |
From each year's official results for the Olympic Triathlon; virtual options are left out.
Typical race-day weather
Around October 3 the day usually runs from 60°F at dawn to 77°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 16% of days. Cold snaps dip to 50°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 Festival 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
- Included with entry
- Tshirt Size OR No Shirt/No Swag; Shirt; T-Shirt
- Distances
- Sprint Triathlon, Olympic Triathlon, Aquabike
- Editions
- 2026 (Oct 3, 2026), 2025 (Oct 4, 2025), 2024 (Oct 5, 2024), 2023 (Oct 7, 2023), 2022 (Oct 8, 2022), 2021 (Oct 2, 2021)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Plan your race
Quick answers
- When is Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival?
- Saturday, October 3, 2026, starting at 8:00 AM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $95 before processing fees.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Oct 3, 2026, 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 2025, 120 athletes finished the International - Individual; the median finish was 2:46:30 and the winner finished in 2:03:52.
- Where does it start?
- Sandling Beach State Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
From the organizers
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Join us on Saturday, October 3rd for the Sandling Beach Triathlon Festival for the Final Round of the 2026 North Carolina Triathlon Series.
These two races - Sprint and International - take place at Sandling Beach State Recreational Area at Falls Lake.