Event Details and Schedule
The North Pole Triathlon is an Olympic distance race held in and around Chena Lake Recreation Area. It is an opportunity to swim 1500 meters in some of the best open water in the region and to bike 20K (13 miles) on wide, flat park trails. The 6 mile run will be on a combination of paved and gravel trails within the Chena Lake Recreation Area. Road and/or tri bikes are NOT recommended. The route is mapped on the 'course information' tab. We expect the run course to revert to pre-construction years and be entirely on dirt trails and bike paths. Course maps will be updated in January. Relays are an option. Teams of two or three people may choose any combination of legs.
Registration opens Feb. 1 and will close when 99 participants have registered. The North Pole Triathlon will be raced in and around Chena Lake Recreation Area starting at 9:00 am on Saturday, July 25. All transitions will occur at the first parking lot off of Lake Park Road. Entry fees are listed below. USA Triathlon membership is also required. If you are not a USAT member you will need to buy either a single-event pass ($14 for age 18+) or an annual membership ($10 age 17 and under, $40 age 18-23, $64 age 24+) to participate. Minimum age to participate is 16 years as of 12/31/26. Refunds are only available to those who purchase ACTIVE Refund. Transfers to another event are not available.
Be aware that almost all types of bikes are welcome at the North Pole Triathlon. However, time trial bikes, recumbents and fixed gear bikes are all specifically NOT allowed at this gravel race. Aerobars are also not allowed. The USAT gravel triathlon rules may be downloaded from USAT. We highly recommend leaving your road bike at home but they will be allowed on the course. We do our best to mark the course clearly, however RACERS ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTE. We will offer an optional bike course preview on Saturday, July 18. Be ready to depart the East Lake Parking Lot (aka transition area) at 11 am for a 20K ride.
Water temperatures at Chena Lakes are on the cool side (55 to 65 degrees) so a wetsuit is advised.
Race packet pickup will be Thursday, July 23 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at HooDoo Brewing Company. Be sure to bring your USAT membership and a photo ID. One day memberships require a photo ID only. Due to USAT rules, each racer - including relays - must pick up their own (or team) packet.
On race day, the transition area opens at 7 am and closes at 8:30 am. All racers, spectators and others – except race officials – must clear this area at 8:30 am. The transition area remains closed until all racers have finished the bike.
Bike racks will be available for everyone.
The pre-race meeting will be at 8:30 am near the swim start. The race will start at 9 a.m. Check-in must be completed no later than 30 minutes prior to race start; those arriving after this time will not be allowed to participate.
Please park at the swim beach parking lot, about 1/4 mile past the east lake parking lot. Do NOT park on the road. The east lake parking lot (next to the transition area) has extremely limited parking.
Those on a waitlist will not be charged until their registration is confirmed.
Awards will be given to the top three men and women, and to the top relay team.
Registration Prices
- Feb. 1 – July 7: $50
- July 8 - 21: $75
- July 22: $100
Relay Prices
- Feb. 1 - July 7: $90
- July 8 - 21: $120
- July 22: $150
Registration closes at 5:00 pm AST on July 22.
