PDX Triathlon Festival

Join us for the 43nd Annual PDX Triathlon Festival at Blue Lake Regional Park and kick off the summer racing season. The fun begins on Sunday where athletes compete on our scenic, flat and fast course in either the Super Sprint, Sprint or Olympic Distances. NEW: A 5K on Sunday or try our Paddle Triathlon for those of you who would rather kayak or paddle-board! Relay options are great for friends, family & co-workers!

The Annual PDX/Blue Lake Triathlon was started by the Portland Triathlon Association and Frank Goulard, who is still an active, local Masters Triathlete. He participates in many of our events so come on out and meet the legend, the man who started it all for us here locally!

This weekend festival offers an Olympic and Sprint Distance Triathlon, Duathlon & AquaBike, and a Super Sprint course that offers shorter distances for those new to the sport or just going for pure, raw speed. The Super Sprint is also a great event for our Junior Triathletes!

Recognized by NW triathletes as the “must do” event to open the triathlon season, the PDX Triathlon encompasses two full days of racing (Kids races & Sunset 5k on Saturday & Super Sprint, Sprint & Olympic races on Sunday) including a Sports & Fitness Expo. Triathlon Clubs from across the NW gather to launch the MultiSport season.

The bike courses are flat and fast, with the majority occurring on a section of Marine Dr that is closed to all but local traffic. This makes the course one of the safest and fastest in the region.

PARKING IS INCLUDED WITH REGISTRATION COST.

NATIONAL SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION, LOCAL SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND PROGRAMS
Why Racing Events is proud to support the National Scleroderma Foundation, High School sports programs and other non-profit organizations through this event and all the races and fundraisers on the Why Racing Events calendar each year.

Contributions over the years from these NW races and fundraisers have exceeded $3 million dollars. We are very thankful to the athletes, sponsors, vendors, partners and volunteers who contribute to the success of our events, allowing us to offer this community support!

Swim Courses

Bike Courses

Run Courses

Water/Electrolyte Aid Stations

Water/Electrolyte Aid stations: You will have access to hydration twice during the Sprint Courses and four times during the Olympic Distances. We will place a porta-potty at the approximately 1.5 miles along the run course. Sprint athletes will hit it once and Olympic athletes will hit it twice. Multiple porta potties and park bathrooms will be available at the transition area.

05/31/2025:  8:00 AM Start Times

 A maximum of 1000 athletes per day can race so be sure to register early as this race fills fast!

SUNDAY:

8:00 AM 5k – All Divisions 
SUPER SPRINT WAVE STARTS:

8:00 AM Super Sprint Duathlon – All Divisions
8:03 AM ALL Males 44 years & Under – 
8:06 AM Females 44 years & Under – 
8:09 AM Males 45 and over & Clydesdale – 
8:12 AM Females 45 and over & Athena – 
8:15 AM Friends & Family, Aquabike Athletes & All Relays – 
SPRINT WAVE STARTS:

8:00 AM Sprint Duathlon – All Divisions
8:20 AM Paddle / Kayak Tri – 
8:23 AM Males 44 years and under – 
8:27 AM Females 44 years and under – 
8:30 AM Males 45 and over & Clydesdale – 
8:33 AM Females 45 and over & Athena – 
8:36 AM Friends & Family, Aquabike Athletes & All Relays – 
OLYMPIC WAVE STARTS:

8:45 AM Olympic Duathlon – All Divisions
8:45AM Paddle / Kayak Tri – NO CAP
8:48 AM Males 44 years and under – 
8:49 AM Females 44 years and under – 
8:51 AM Males 45 and over & Clydesdale – 
8:55 AM Females 45 and over & Athena – 
8:55 AM Friends & Family, OR Age Group, Aquabike Athletes & All Relays – 

PDX Tri offers deferrals and race transfers for its participants. Deferrals are available for a $25  fee ($50 if under 30 days of event) and race transfers offer the participant the option of transferring to another person for a refund (new registrant will pay their registration fee) or as a gift transfer (new registrant will pay $0) 

Here are some instructional links for these actions

How Do I Defer my Race?
How Do I Transfer my Race to Another Person?
How do I look up my registration and claim it to my account?

DEFERRAL TO NEXT YEAR’S RACE OR ANOTHER WHY RACING EVENT THAT YEAR:

If you wish to transfer your defer your race entry, you will need to e-mail registration@whyracingevents.com

Can I register on Race Day? Can my friend pick up my packet? Can I get a refund? Can I transfer my registration to another race or athlete?

• All registration and packet pickup related questions can be found under the main navigation heading titled “Registration & Packet Pickup”. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please email us at registration@whyracingevents.com

What are the Rules?

• We currently adhere to the USAT Rules for Triathlon & Duathlon.  Please click here to review complete list of USAT Rules. Important rules include no drafting, you must wear a helmet and music is ABSOLUTELY NOT allowed during the bike for obvious safety reasons.

Can I use a personal music devise while cycling?

• Absolutely no music devices are allowed during the bike segment for obvious safety risks and will result in immediate disqualification.

Can I use a personal music devise while running?

• During any running segments, we prefer for athletes to NOT use music devices to maximize safety, assure a fair competitive environment and assure athletes can hear all course marshal instructions. With that said, we also understand that many athletes rely on music to help endure the challenge of running. To accommodate the needs of our athletes while still assuring maximum safety and a fair, competitive environment, here is the arrangement that we can accommodate. 

  If you chose to use a personal music device, you must always keep one ear open for instructions so only one ear-bud can be used at any time.
  If you are using a personal music devise with two earbuds, you will be immediately disqualified. Trust us, we don’t want to have to enforce a disqualification but in order to assure the safety of all athletes, this is a very important rule.
  We also request that if you chose to use a personal music device that you keep the volume to a minimum to assure all instructions can be heard.

Do I need to wear a wetsuit?

• No, you do not need to wear a wetsuit. The water temperature at Blue Lake at this time of year is typically mid 60s. Many will not wear a wetsuit while others will choose to wear a wetsuit because of the buoyancy and warmth factor.

Will there be on-site mechanical/bike support?

• Yes, we will have a Bike Mechanic on site to provide basic Bike Service and repairs.

Where can I find lost items?

• Any equipment that is unmarked will be returned to the stage during the event. After the event, we will take to the Why Racing office and you can contact us to locate. Please come to the event with all personal belongings well marked with your name and/or race number.

What should I do if my shirt doesn't fit?

• If the size of the shirt you ordered does not fit, we will be hosting a ‘Shirt Swap” after the event at the information booth. We cannot guarantee you will be able to swap, since it will depend on left over shirts, but we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Do I have to use a road or racing bike?

• No. We welcome any type of bike as long as it is functioning properly with brakes and endcaps at the end of your handlebars.

Do I have to run?

• No, you could walk, jog, wog, hop or prance your way to the finish line.  As long as you get there under your own volition, that is acceptable!

Will there be water on the course?

• Water Aid Stations will be approximately every 2 miles. You will have to carry your own hydration and fuel on your bike during the bike courses. Energy Drink and Gel will be available at the Aid stations.

Will there be bathrooms on the course?

• We’ve ordered Porta-potties for the start/finish! We will have a couple porta potties located along the run course.

Where should I tell my friends and family to go to cheer me on?

• The best approach for your family, friends and cheerleaders is to park at Blue Lake Park. They can see you start and finish. They can take a short walk up to Marine Drive and see you bike out, bike past you, bike in, run out and finish! Tons of action for them! Or they can just hang in the expo area after you start and then they can sit and enjoy the music and watch you swim/run in, bike out, bike in, and then head to the finish line to watch you finish. Be sure to tell them to make signs for you, bring cowbells, and bring you flowers for the finish. Especially if this is your first race, you’ve got to celebrate! It’s a big accomplishment! 

  We DO NOT want them driving on the Bike course to maximize safety for all cyclists.

KIDS RACE THE KIDS TRI FOR FREE! Most kids love to swim, bike and run – so we say, why not give them a chance to put it all together in one fun and fantastic race! Parents can introduce their kids to the sport of triathlon in the perfect venue for the young ones to “try a tri” – what better way for them to actually be part of the multisport action during the event. There’s nothing more fun and exciting than to see happy, proud, young faces crossing the finish line – you might just see a future superstar triathlete blossoming into the sport! Let’s start them young! 

Kids Tri race entry includes a t-shirt and a cool medal for the kids so they can brag about their well-earned accomplishment. It is a non-competitive, non-timed, no-pressure, fun event for the kids. Check the Course Details section for Kids Triathlon course details and logistics.

Note: More competitive Junior & Youth athletes may find a better challenge participating in the Super Sprint race. We will offer a separate wave for our younger athletes participating in the Super Sprint.

Address: 21224 NE Blue Lake Rd, Fairview, OR 97024

REMEMBER YOUR ID AND USAT MEMBERSHIP CARD (if applicable) - It's a USAT requirement! If you're picking up packages for other athletes, be sure you have a signed copy of the Authorization Form and a copy of the athlete's ID.

If you are unable to pick up at any of the times listed below, please email us at registration@whyracingevents.com to make other arrangements.

Friday, June 3rd Foot Traffic NE Portland 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

4020 NE Fremont Street Portland, OR 97212

Saturday, June 4th On-Site (Blue Lake Regional Park) 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Sunday, June 5th On-Site (Blue Lake Regional Park) 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Portland is known for it’s fabulous restaurants and night life. We would love to suggest Mt. Tabor Brewing, one of our season partners who support Running, Triathlon & Multi-sport races all year! 

Click here to check out some other popular options.

Out of Town Guests: Fly into Portland (PDX) – The event location is about 10 minutes from Airport. 

If you stay at any hotel near the PDX Airport, you will be 10 minutes from the start/finish venue.

Portland Oregon Visitors Association: www.travelportland.com

Portland has so much to offer so come for the entire weekend and make it a fun and memorable RACE-cation! Although a weekend is not nearly enough to see all the beauty in this area, so feel free to extend your stay or be sure to come back for one of our other local races. You can check off one bucket list item each time you visit – there really is that much to see!