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.
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!
7:00 am
Note: The youth race starts as soon as the last swimmer in the Sprint triathlon exits the water (estimate around 8:00am)
Sprint:
Swim: 1150 meters
Bike: 11.5 miles
Run: 5K
Youth:
Swim: 200 meters
Bike: 4 miles
Run: 1.6 miles
It is highly recommended that you pick up your race packet and check your bike into the transition area on Friday September 23rd
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28th, 2023 - Beer on Tap
12:00pm to 5:00pm - Two Wheeler Dealer Pre race Party
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29th 2023
2:00pm-7:00pm: Packet Pickup
4:00pm to 7:30pm: (RECOMMENDED) Optional Bike Check In Wrightsville Beach Park (321 Causeway Dr, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480)
5:00pm: Youth Triathlon Walkthrough
6:00pm: Pre-Race Q&A Meeting
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30th 2022
5:00am-6:45am: Transition Opens
5:00am-6:30am: Packet Pick-Up
5:00am-6:30am: Chip Pickup (athletes will be required to self body mark on hands only)
7:00am: Transition Closes
7:00am: Sprint Triathlon Starts
8:00am: Youth Triathlon Start
10:30am: Awards Ceremony
GETTING TO THE START
All participants can walk to the start. The start is a 3/4 mile walk or jog from transition. We will have one traffic lane closed from Wynn Plaza to the Blockade Runner Beach Start area with bathrooms located on the way
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
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