Sea to Summit Triathlon
Sea to Summit is not your traditional triathlon. This is an amazing day: combining the elements of a long-distance triathlon with the challenges of an adventure race. This largely self-supported event consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 95-mile bike ride, and a strenuous 5.5-mile run/climb up the tallest mountain in the Northeast U.S. The 2026 race starts at 5:30 am, Saturday July 25 in the coastal village of South Berwick, Maine and ends atop Mt. Washington within the White Mountains of New Hampshire. You'll be ready for that post-race dinner!
Qualifications
We must place strict qualification restrictions to be sure all athletes finish safely during daylight. For age group athletes, required is the completion of either: - a 140.6 (“Ironman”) triathlon in 14:15 or less - or a 70.3 distance triathlon in 6:15 or less Additionally, all age-group athletes must have ranked in the top 75% of their age group in their qualifying race. Your qualifying race must have been held after Jan. 1, 2021. Athletes who qualified for the Ironman World Championships (140.6 or 70.3) during the same period are accepted no matter their finish rank at those races. For long triathlons of slightly different distances, calculate your finishing time against these standards. Also pre-qualified are athletes who previously finished a Sea to Summit race in 2014-2025 within the time limit, as well as all current and former card-carrying professional triathletes. The race directors may allow entries for athletes who have completed other recent races of similar difficulty if they are convinced the athlete likely has excellent swim proficiency as well as the ability to reach the checkpoints before the cut-off times (see below). Athletes must be 18 years of age or older.
Required of Competitors
Each competitor must designate a support person (porter) who is in good health and will be present throughout the race including; athlete's meeting, packet pickup, at the race start, drive the course (although not behind or alongside the athlete) to the base of Mt. Washington, take away his/her racer’s bike at T2, meet the athlete at the top of the mountain (accessible by toll road) and chauffeur the athlete away from the post-race party. This is an absolutely mandatory requirement. Each competitor and support person must attend the virtual pre-race meeting early in race week. Additional questions can be addressed at packet pick-up at the Spring Hill Recreation Center, South Berwick, Maine on Friday, July 24 from 4 to 6 pm. There is no day-of-race packet pick-up. Athlete registration fees cover the cost of one (1) porter t-shirt and after-party admission. Additional t-shirts and after-party tickets will be available for purchase in 2026.
USAT Sanctioned
This is a USAT Sanctioned race! That means that we meet or exceed strict guidelines set by USA Triathlon. This benefits the athlete by providing additional insurance coverage in case of injury. You are required to have either an annual or 1-day (Bronze) USA Triathlon membership in order to race in any USAT-sanctioned event. Non-USAT members will be required to purchase a one-day event insurance license from USA Triathlon. Costs: $34.99/individual, $9 per relay team member. For more information about these USAT memberships, please click here. Results will count toward national and regional rankings. All USAT rules and regulations will apply. Racers are subject to time penalties or disqualification for infractions of USAT rules included a positive drug test. You will be given an opportunity to purchase a USAT membership during the registration process, or using the grey 'Add' button at the bottom of your registration email.
Personal Responsibility
This is an adventure triathlon and — for most competitors — a personal journey. While the race organization does provide lifeguards support meeting USAT standards, as well as professional mountaineering guides stationed at various points on Mt. Washington, in addition to medical staff, you and your porter/support crew are largely responsible for your well-being during the race. You must follow all rules of the road and have done the pre-race planning so as to not get lost! Please note: water temperature for the swim segment is expected to be slightly below or slightly above USA Triathlon's wetsuit-allowable limit of 78 degrees. If the temperature is above 78, athletes who wear wetsuits will not be eligible for age group awards.
Time Limits
With a 5:30 am start, all athletes must finish the swim by 6:30am to be allowed to continue as an official racer. Other cut-offs: conclusion of bike at Wild Cat Ski Lodge: 1 pm; arrival at Hermit Lake mid-mountain: 2:30pm; arrival at summit: 4:30pm. Under no circumstances will the athlete be allowed to proceed as an official racer if they miss a cutoff time. Should they proceed, they will be considered to have left the event, with no further assumption of responsibility by the event organizers. All vehicles are ordered off the mountain by toll road staff at 6 pm, and it’s a long walk down.
Transfer/Refund Policy
No transfers or substitutions will be allowed. There will be no refunds unless you purchase Refund Protect during the registration process. Deferments are allowed for a fee up to 60 days prior to the race.