Hawk Island Triathlon

Due to much needed road and sewer construction on a key portion of our bike course and logistical issues with alternate routes, we've made the difficult decision to CANCEL the 2026 Hawk Island Triathlon.

Those who have raced with us know many sections of roadway along our bike course have been repaved in recent years... except for that deteriorating stretch of Mt. Hope between Pennsylvania and Aurelius, which is integral to both the sprint and super sprint courses.

Each year, we chalk paint a growing number of hazard areas and advise triathletes to beware of pinch flats. As you can imagine, we were excited to learn this section of Mt. Hope was scheduled for total curb-to-curb reconstruction. Then we saw the timeline.

From now until mid-August, the Lansing Board of Water and Light and the Lansing Public Services Department are working in tandem to tear out the existing roadway, replace the water main, and reconstruct the entirety of Mt. Hope from Pennsylvania to Aurelius, including the intersection at Penn/Mt. Hope.

Participant safety is our number one priority, and this work is much needed. We will all enjoy a smooth, hazard-free roadway when construction is complete. Until then, please have a safe and successful triathlon season.

FYI... there are still openings for early winter Triathlon Training sessions at the Oak Park and Parkwood YMCAs. Oak Park classes started this week, but there are still spaces available (ends February 28). Parkwood has a Masters Swim session featuring Tri Training Skills and Drills, from January 12 - February 25, 2026. Follow the link to register for these and other YMCA group activities.

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/lansingymca/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&activity_select_param=2&viewMode=list

It's time to save the date! Racers, volunteers, sponsors and fans, we are looking forward to another great race year!

Staff has been working 24/7 since Thanksgiving making snow and preparing the Hawk Island tubing hill. Opening date and sessions will be posted Tuesday 12/9 with Ticket sales opening 9:00am on Thursday 12/11.

Information and tickets will be posted on our website at pk.ingham.org. View winter activities, snow tube FAQ, and more https://pk.ingham.org/parks/winter_conditions.php .

Race results!!

www.racetecresults.com

This is Jean. What a wonderful time yesterday. All of the people who volunteered were amazing. I am so thankful for all the help. The triathletes who stepped in to volunteer and teach me more from a racers perspective, opened my eyes to how they get things done right. There are not enough words to express my gratitude, so from the bottom of my heart ♥️ thank you.

It's 5:00 a.m. on race day... and we're ready for you!!

Super sprinters often miss the right turn from Mt Hope to Aurelius. It will suck to end up on the 10 mile course when you planned for 4.75. Sooooo, watch for the signs as you approach Aurelius. There are stanchions to segregate bikes to the right. Supers stay right of those. Sprinters stay left and continue straight.

Marking the bike course. The city did a pretty darn good job patching Mt Hope. There is still a rough stretch just east of Mt Hope Cemetery arch. We painted a warning before it... Here's the visual.

We have a saying ... it wouldn't be Hawk without rain. In 18 years, we've had maybe two races without rain. And true to tradition, we had a drizzly practice swim. But hey, so what! We're swimming!

Many thanks to Cindy Erickson and Tina Stewart for leading the beginner clinic on the beach and calming people's nerves. We are proud to provide a supportive environment for first time triathletes.

Many thanks to our Course Sponsor, the Lansing Ques, for fielding a great team of volunteers to help us throughout race weekend. They started this evening, helping me set buoys to mark the 500m and 200m swim courses. It was rainy and cold, but we had a blast... and they learned some fun facts about mallard ducks.