Location and General Information 

The race is at Lake of the Pines in Auburn, Ca.  (Go to the "Travel" section for directions.) The 5.1 mile bike course is hilly.  Three laps are required for the Long Triathlon.  The 3.8 mile run is moderately hilly. The water temperature range for the swim is between 75-80 degrees.  Water temperature history: 2001-2006 temp. was 75 - 77.9 degrees. The average high air temperature for the Auburn area in late August/September is 87, and the average low is 58. 

For the Long Triathlon the swim is a .6m swim in Lake of the Pines, a 235 acre lake in Auburn, Ca. The out and back course is well marked with buoys.  The Medium Swim is one-half the Long out and back course, at .3 miles.  For the Short Triathlon the swim will be about 200 yards.  The swim start will be a beach start.

The Short Triathlon will start at 7:30am with one wave.

The Long/Medium Triathlon will start at 8:00am with three waves. On two minute intervals,

1. Men (wetsuits, non wetsuits, relays with man swimmer)
2. Women (wetsuits, non wetsuits, relays with woman swimmer)
3. Children 12 & under
   

A swim cap will be picked up at registration, and all swimmers must wear the swim cap provided by officials.  The caps may be color coordinated for the wave starts.  The swim course will close one hour after the last participant starts.

Bicycle Course(s)

The 4.97 mile bike course has some flat sections mixed with rolling hills. It is within the confines of the Lake of the Pines community. The two-lane roads will not be closed to traffic, and you must stay to your right. Take extra caution not to cross the yellow line, as this is an automatic disqualification. The LOP Triathlon bike leg will follow USA Triathlon rules.  A no drafting rule will be strictly enforced by course marshals. You will be automatically disqualified for drafting. In addition, your chinstrap must be fastened before you mount your bike and remain fastened until after you dismount. Failure to do so will result in an automatic disqualification. The bike course will be closed after the last participant finishes the bike segment. 

For the Long Triathlon it will be necessary to perform three (3) laps for a 14.9 mile bike course.  The Medium Triathlon does only one (1) lap of the regular bike loop for 4.97 miles.  The Short Triathlon will do the first 2 miles of the regular bike course before turning right onto Lakeshore South near Southshore Park 4.  From there the cyclists will finish the last .5 miles to Green Valley Park 5 where they will drop off their bikes (bike handlers present) before beginning the final leg of the triathlon on foot.

Run 
The 3.8 mile run course has some flat sections mixed with rolling hills. The course follows the outline of the lake primarily on Lakeshore North and Lakeshore South. The two-lane roads will not be closed to traffic, and you must stay to your right. 

The Short Triathlon run course follows the same route as the last half of the Long and Medium Course runs, but it begins at Green Valley Park #5. After dropping off their bikes to handlers at Park 5, the runners proceed up Lakeshore South in the direction of the Clubhouse, crossing the dam and proceeding up the hill to Lakeshore North.  From there they turn right down Lakeshore North to just past the #3&4 tennis courts.  From there they turn right down the golf cart path to the lower marina parking lot and the finish line.

Transition Areas

There are two large transition areas.  The first area, which is located in the lower Main Beach parking lot, is for the triathletes doing the entire course (Individuals).  The second area, which is located in the upper Main Beach parking lot, is for the relay teams. The transition area opens at 6:00 a.m. on race day and must be cleared of by-standers by the start of the race at 7:30 a.m. When racking your bike, use the bike rack designed for your bicycle's tire width - Mountain Bikes in wide tire racks and road bikes in narrow tire racks.  You must be dismounted from your bike at all times when within the transition area. Remember the chinstrap rule. At the finish of the bike segment you must dismount before entering the transition area. At the entrance and exit of the transition area there will be a well-marked "gate". Cyclists MUST be dismounted from their bikes at all times between these two gates. Make sure you are aware of this 'zone' within the transition area. There will be several staff members monitoring bike speed and directing the correct way to enter and exit the transition area for the bike and run leg. For your comfort and convenience, sparkling clean Port-O-Johns will be lining the south side of the transition area. There is also a bathroom facility and shower in the small building (Yacht Lounge) adjacent to the transition area.

Lake of the Pines
Triathlon
11665 Lakeshore North
Auburn, CA 95602
Activities Department - (530) 268-3585  or
Race Director - (530) 268-6366
email us at