YMCA Wrightsville Beach Triathlon

09/23/2026

Know your wave. Wear your cap. 🏊

Your cap color is how our water safety crew tracks how long you've been in the water, so swim in the one you're given.

🔵 Wave 1, 6:50, Sky Blue: Advanced M & F, Males 16–29
🟡 Wave 2, 6:53, Yellow: Males 30–34, Males 50–54
🟢 Wave 3, 6:56, Forest Green: Males 35–39, Males 55–59
⚪ Wave 4, 7:01, White: Males 40–44, Clydesdales, Aquabike Males
🟣 Wave 5, 7:04, Purple: Males 45–49, Females 20–29
🩶 Wave 6, 7:07, Silver: Males 60–69, Females 16–19, Females 30–34
🔵 Wave 7, 7:10, Royal Blue: Females 35–49, Aquabike Females
⚫ Wave 8, 7:15, Black: Males 70+, Females 50–64, 15 & Under, Relay Teams
🟢 Wave 9, 7:18, Neon Green: Novice Males, Physically Challenged Males
🩷 Wave 10, 7:21, Pink: Novice Females, Females 65+, Athenas, Physically Challenged Females
🏃Youth Waves starting around 8:00am

⏰ Be at the swim start by 6:15 AM.

The full wave chart, the swim course, and what to do if you need help in the water are all in the Athlete Guide. Read it start to finish before Saturday. Your race morning will thank you. 👉 www.ymcawbtri.com

09/22/2026

Packet pickup opens Thursday and it is highly recommended to pickup Thursday or Friday. 📦

🗓 Thursday 9/24, 3–6 PM: Two Wheeler Dealer, 4408 Wrightsville Ave
🗓 Friday 9/25, 2–7 PM: Wrightsville Beach Park, 1 Bob Sawyer Dr
🗓 Saturday 9/26, 5–6:30 AM: Wrightsville Beach Park

🪪 Bring a photo ID. You won't get your packet without one, and everyone picks up their own, relay teams included.

Everything you need for race weekend is in the Athlete Guide: parking, transition, your wave, the course, and the rules that catch people every year. If you haven't read it cover to cover yet, today's the day. 👉 www.ymcawbtri.com

09/21/2026

It's race week. 🌊

The YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon is a point-to-point race across three locations, and that's the single thing that catches first-timers off guard:

📍 Swim start: Trailborn Surf & Sound, sound side
📍 Swim exit: Seapath Marina. Climb the ladder and run about 400 m to transition
📍 Transition and finish: Wrightsville Beach Park

The swim start is about a mile from transition, so plan on a 20–25 minute walk Saturday morning.

This week, do yourself one favor: sit down with the Athlete Guide and read it from start to finish. Not a skim — the whole thing. Twenty minutes tonight saves you a lot of confusion at 5 AM on Saturday. 👉 www.ymcawbtri.com

09/18/2026

The 2026 athlete guide is out and posted on the website and sent to your email and pasted in the comments 👇 . Read it throughly. See you next week

09/16/2026

We need you on race day. Saturday, September 26, 2026, and we would love to have your help.

You can also raise money for your organization while volunteering!

This race simply cannot happen without incredible volunteers providing support throughout the course. Whether you have 90 minutes or a few hours, there is a way to get involved.

WHERE DO WE NEED HELP?
BIKE COURSE SUPPORT – JUST 90 MINUTES!
Help keep our athletes safe by standing along the bike course at side streets along Greenville Loop Road and Oleander Drive. This is one of our biggest volunteer needs and only requires about 90 minutes of your time.

SWIM ASSISTANCE
Be on the water race morning and help watch over the swim as each wave starts from the Trailborn Surf & Sound start line.

FRIDAY RACE SETUP
Want a peek behind the scenes? Join us Friday for a few hours as we set up the transition area and prepare everything for race morning.

CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS
Are you a certified lifeguard? Join our water safety team and help us provide a safe race experience for all of our swimmers.

POST-RACE CLEANUP
This is an enormous help to our race crew! After working all week to prepare for the event, a few extra hands make a huge difference in helping us break everything down quickly.

www.ymcawbtri.com

Founded in 1979, originally as the Pepsi Triathlon, the YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon is a favorite event among locals and triathletes near and far. This event creates a lot of excitement and enthusiasm within the race community because of its scenic location in beautiful Wrightsville Bea...

09/02/2026

Race morning shouldn't be your first open water swim of the year. If you've been training in the pool, get in the sound or lake wherever yo u live at least a couple of times between now and September 26 — sighting, breathing, and swimming a straight line without a black line under you are separate skills from swim fitness, and they're the ones that get tested on race day.

Go with a partner, wear a bright cap, and use a tow float. This is very important before race day for your safety and the safety of all triathletes!

07/22/2026

We opened more spots to cap the race at 1500. Join the wait list and you will be alerted when you can register!

07/03/2026

We are about to sell out 2026! Have a great 4th of July.
www.ymcawbtri.com

06/15/2026

270 spots left!

06/05/2026

We’ve officially reached 1,000 participants for the 2026 YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint Triathlon!

This race has been a tradition since 1979, and this year’s energy is already huge. We are almost sold out, so if you’ve been waiting, now is the time.

Swim. Bike. Run. Be part of the tradition.

Register: ymcawbtri.com