Albany Community Triathlon 2026

The community of Albany, California welcomes you back to a great community triathlon event!

Come on out to enjoy a super short, super FUN, beginner-friendly, family-friendly, spectator-friendly "Super Sprint" triathlon to boost your fitness while raising money for the Albany Athletics Boosters, supporting Albany Middle School and Albany High School athletics and leadership programs.

Key information about the event is provided below.

Additional details about the course and an extensive FAQ can be found at AlbanyTri.com.

Date & Venue: Sunday 20 September 2026 7:50am-Noon, Albany Aquatic Center & Memorial Park

Join the in-person, multi-sport fun at the same great venue we've used since 2008, located at 1325 Portland Ave, in Albany, CA.

Main Course: Super Sprint Triathlon (9:15 am)

The main Super Sprint course is the same as it was since 2019, indicated on our website's course info page and is for individual participants aged 9 and up. A group of 2-3 athletes can also complete as a relay team of adults, mixed adults/youth, or all youth (ages 8-17).

The swim takes place in the Albany Aquatic Center in a well-maintained 25-yard outdoor pool where swimmers get their own split lane and can swim at their own pace. The mostly flat bike course circles the streets around Albany High School and Memorial Park for a total of 12 laps clockwise. The run course also encircles AHS and the park for 3 laps on the sidewalk in the opposite direction (counterclockwise).

• SWIM: 400 meter (0.24 mile) — pool swim in your own split lane (17 lengths of a 25y pool, 10 split lanes)
• BIKE: 10 km (6.2 mile) —12 laps around the block, CW
• RUN: 2.5 km (1.6 mile) — 3 laps around the block, CCW
• First swim heat start time: 9:15AM — with subsequent heats starting every 15 minutes. Last heat starts at 11:30am.

The bike and run courses are on city streets around AHS and Memorial park which will be clear of cars and closed to traffic. The route is very flat, having a slight incline or decline (1-2%) along 1-2 blocks of the 4-block loop. Additional course details can be found at https://albanytri.com/course-info.

Short Course: Mini Triathlon (7:50 am)

The short course mini triathlon is about 1/4th the distance of the main course and is for participants aged 6 and up — kids and adults. This race is for individual participants only — no relay teams — and includes the following legs:

• SWIM: 70 meter (75 yard) — pool swim in your own split lane (3 lengths of a 25y pool, 10 split lanes)
• BIKE: 2.5 km (1.6 mile) — 3 laps around the block, CW
• RUN: 1 km (0.6 mile) — 1 lap around the block, CCW
• First swim heat start time: 7:50AM — with subsequent heats starting every 10 minutes. Last heat starts at 8:50am.

Short course is open for kids AND adults! The short course mini triathlon is mostly for kids, but adults looking to get a taste of a triathlon without committing to a longer event are welcome, too. Parents are invited to register with their young kids and accompany/chaperone them on the course while doing the race together! Individuals can also do a DOUBLE and sign up for both short course and main course events. Relay teams are not allowed for the short course.

Swim Heats & Pool Info

As with all triathlons, the event starts with the swim. The Albany Aquatic center outdoor pool has 10 split lanes, so participants will start in separate heats of 20 swimmers, with 2 swimmers splitting each lane of the 10-lane pool. You can stop and rest on the walls as much as you want within the allowed swim time for your heat. Heat start times and allowed time per heat is as follows:

• Short course first swim heat starts at 7:50AM with subsequent heats every 10-minutes till 8:50 AM.
• Main course first swim heat starts at 9:15AM with subsequent heats every 15 minutes till 11:30-45.

The outdoor pool has a variable depth ranging from 4 to 13 feet. All participants must acknowledge on the registration form that they or their child is competent to swim in deep water unassisted or using a kickboard. The shallowest lane (4 ft) can be used for water walking instead of swimming if you indicate this on the registration form.

Swim Heat and Lane Assignments

The first swim heats of the main and short courses are reserved for faster, more experienced athletes — especially faster cyclists. You can indicate your preference for the first heat on the registration form. You can also indicate any "family & friends" preferences for other participants you want to start the swim with. Be sure to coordinate with those other participants to ensure everyone registers and indicates their family/friends preferences! 

After the first swim heat preferences are accounted for, the remaining heat assignments will proceed from the earlier to the later heats based on registration date. For example, after heat #2 is populated, subsequent registrants will be slotted into heat #3, and so on. So register sooner if you'd like to start in an earlier heat! There will be limited ability to change heat assignments before they're finalized.

Lane Assignments in the pool are first-come, first-served. If you want to swim in a lane next to a friend, family, or team member, just head to the pool together 5-10 minutes before your heat starts and coordinate on lane selection as the previous heat of swimmers finishes. It's ok to ask other swimmers if they're willing to switch lanes, if necessary.

What You Get

Participants will receive the many health benefits of outdoor physical exercise, connecting with fellow community members, post-race snacks, special event swag, finisher medal (all kids get a medal, and adults get one if they're in the top 3 of their age group or overall), and entry to win raffle prizes. Event shirts will be included with your registration fee if you sign up by 9/1. A limited number of shirts will be available for separate purchase at the event. Register early to guarantee a shirt! For the full registration pricing schedule, see this page.

All proceeds benefit the Albany Athletics Boosters, a 501(c)(3) organization supporting public school sports programs in Albany CA.

Key dates:

• Last day for early bird registration: Thu July 31, 11:59pm
• Last day to have shirt included with registration: Mon August 31, 11:59pm
• Last day to register online: Wed September 16, 11:59pm
• Packet pickup: Sat September 19, 1-4pm, Road Runners Sports, Berkeley 
• Race day: Sun September 20. Check-in starting at 6:45am 
• Late registrations: A limited number of registrations may be available at packet pickup on Saturday. No race day registration.