Saturday, September 18, 2027 · Registration opens November 1
The East Coast's oldest triathlon, racing since 1979. The field is capped at 800 athletes, so don't wait.
New for 2027
- Time-trial swim start. No more age-group waves. You'll seed yourself by your 100m swim time at registration, line up with swimmers your speed, and enter the water a few at a time starting at 6:50 AM.
- Mandatory Friday bike check. Every bike is racked in transition on Friday, September 17. Pick your time slot when you register: 1–3 PM, 3–5 PM or 5–7 PM. There is no Saturday bike drop.
- Very limited beach parking. Because of the bridge project, only 300 VIP Beach Parking Passes ($20) are available for Wrightsville Beach Park, the Bluewater lot and Salisbury Street. Pass holders can't leave until after 10:00 AM. Everyone else, including spectators arriving separately, rides the shuttle in.
Pricing
| Nov 1 – Dec 31 | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | Apr 1 – Race Day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint Triathlon | $120 | $150 | $175 |
| Aquabike | $110 | $140 | $165 |
| Relay (per team) | $200 | $225 | $250 |
| Youth Triathlon | $120 | $150 | $175 |
Events
Individual
Relay
Aquabike
Youth Triathlon
Schedule
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: PACKET PICKUP & MANDATORY BIKE CHECK
Wrightsville Beach Park (321 Causeway Dr, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480)
- 1:00pm–7:00pm: Packet Pickup. Friday only. There is no Thursday or race-morning packet pickup in 2027.
- 1:00pm–7:00pm: Mandatory Bike Check in your registered time slot (1–3pm, 3–5pm or 5–7pm). Every bike must be racked in transition Friday.
- 5:00pm: Youth Triathlon Walkthrough
- 6:00pm: Pre-Race Q&A Meeting
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18: RACE DAY
- Before 6:00am: VIP Beach Parking Pass holders parked. Everyone else arrives by shuttle.
- 5:00am–6:45am: Transition open for final setup (your bike is already racked)
- 6:45am: Transition Closes
- 6:50am: Time-Trial Swim Start. Line up by your seed time; swimmers enter a few at a time, fastest first.
- Approx. 8:00am: Youth Triathlon Start, once the last sprint swimmer is out of the water
- 9:00am: Lighthouse Beer & Wine open for post-race beer
- 10:00am: Awards Ceremony
- After 10:00am: Roads reopen; parked vehicles may leave
About the Event
1200m Swim - 11 mile Bike - 5K Run
Founded in 1979, as the Pepsi Triathlon, the YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon is a favorite event among locals and triathletes near and far. This event creates a lot of excitement and enthusiasm within the race community because of its scenic location in beautiful Wrightsville Beach. The course is flat and the distances are short, making it a great first event for new triathletes, and a great time trial for more experienced racers.
In recent years, the YMCA has added a Youth Triathlon event in addition to the traditional Sprint Triathlon, increasing the participation in younger athletes. The Y has also added a Corporate Relay Division to encourage local businesses to come out and compete for a very large trophy to display in their business, not to mention bragging rights for the year!
Today the event is comprised of the traditional sprint triathlon and a youth triathlon, increasing the participation in younger athletes. We've also introduced a corporate relay division to encourage businesses to come out and compete for a very large trophy to display in their office, not to mention bragging rights for the year!
Race History
The YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina's Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon first held in 1979, was the brainchild of Karl Sutter, a then resident of Wrightsville Beach. Karl was competitive by nature and had been college swimmer. A few years after college, Karl had taken up running to get back in shape, and one day sprained his ankle and then turned to cycling as an outlet for fitness while his injury healed. When reading Sports Illustrated in the spring of ‘79 he noticed a small article about the first Ironman triathlon with it’s 12 participants that was held in Hawaii the prior fall. Karl approached the local YMCA which was under the direction of Jack Morris at the time, and a new event for the area was born. This triathlon originally named the Pepsi YMCA Triathlon would become the first and longest running triathlon on the east coast of the US with its start of 99 participants that September, 1979.
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