River Trail Adventure Triathlon

West Michigan's only "Dri" Triathlon!

This modified triathlon sports kayaking instead of swimming, a hybrid of paved and dirt trail biking, and a mix of trail and road running. Take on the challenge individually or compete with a team of two or three. The race is split into two distances -- Tri-Hard and Tri-Harder.

Tri-Hard
1-mile Kayak up and back down the beautiful Flat River 
6.5-mile Bike loop along the Flat River, past the Fallasburg Powerhouse, around the Lowell State Game Area, and back
1.5-mile Run through sections of the downtown North Country Trail 

Tri-Harder
2-mile Kayak up and down the beautiful Flat River
16-mile Bike loop up the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail, around Fallasburg Park, up the Montcalm Mountain, and back
3.5-mile Run through the hilly North Country Trail north of town

All ages and experiences welcome! We are dedicated to making this a family-friendly event while also bolstering healthy competition. Participants are required to bring their own bike (the routes are partially paved but do travel on some dirt roads and gravel pathways, thus, a hybrid bike would most likely work best for this route) and are encouraged to supply their own kayak or rent through Bill & Paul's Sporthaus for an additional $35 due on race day. 

Want to participate but don't feel confident in your abilities with one of the legs?

Sign up as a relay team! 

Want to compete in only one event but can't find anyone to join you?

Sign up as a free agent and specify the event(s) you want to compete in and we will pair you up with other free agents!

SIGN-UP NOTES
- All kayak participants must have a PFD with them while on the river
- Any participants under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian verify and sign their registration form
- All participants will be given a River Trail Triathlon T-shirt upon registration, if registered BEFORE 6/1/2025.

The purpose of this race is to bring people together to enjoy the beautiful natural resources and landmarks in Lowell -- and to have competitive fun doing it! This is truly one of the most unique racing events athletes can partake in.

While journeying throughout our carefully curated courses, participants can marvel at the following wonders:

• Michigan's 2nd longest Designated Natural River (the Flat River)
• The 4th longest trail in America (the North Country Trail -- headquartered in downtown Lowell)
• 1 of 3 covered bridges in Michigan that you can drive over (Fallasburg Covered Bridge)
• And so many more Lowell Landmarks!

This year, all proceeds for this event will benefit Lowell Community Wellness (LCW). LCW is a non-profit organization of 501-c-3 status that’s primary objective is to serve to inspire and educate the Greater Lowell Community to attain a healthier lifestyles. The nonprofit's vision is to "promote healthy living through community-wide initiatives."

The partnership with Lowell Community Wellness reflects our mission to promote wellbeing by embracing outdoor activities that celebrate our natural resources and focusing on the mental health benefits of being outdoors.
   
We are raising funds to support mental health programs, services and educational tools for teachers, social workers and counselors to help youth and their families within the Lowell Community.

What's better than partaking in a healthy, family-friendly event that highlights some of the most gorgeous natural resources in the area? Having a great cause to motivate you!

6/21/25 Schedule of Events

6:30am-7:30am - Equipment drop off and athlete check-in at tent
7:45am - Athletes begin to launch kayaks for beginning of the race
8:00am - Event start
11:00am - Results announcement, trophy giveaways, and after-race raffles @ Lowell Showboat IV

Equipment Drop off and Event Parking

Please see below for map of the flow of drop-off and public parking designations for the event

A compilation of photos from the 2025 event by Ryan Heffron!

2025 River Trail Triathlon Photos - Ryan Heffron

2025 River Trail Triathlon Photos - Ginny Velting of Lowell's First Look

Take a look at our inaugural event in photos! All pictures were taken by West Michigan's own Ryan Heffron!

2023 River Trail Triathlon Photos

Meet our generous sponsors!

FINISH LINE

RIVER

Look good, feel good; Feel good, race good!

Kayak Route:

1-mile kayak up and down the Flat River.

Breakdown
The Flat River tends to have an almost negligible current in downtown Lowell. Don't count on having to work harder on your way out, nor a guiding push on the way back.

Bike Route:

 
Breakdown
Miles 0-2.5: Just keep pedalin'. Mostly flat with a slight incline present. Take in the river view.
Mile 2.5-4: Feel the burn. Incline becomes steeper. Just making sure the legs still work.
Miles 4-5.5: Get ready for a bumpy ride. Now you're in the thick of it. Transitioning from a paved road to a dirt road can't be that hard, right? Is that another hill?
Mile 6: WEEEEE! All that hard work is finally paying off. Take this time to let your legs recover as you speed down the final hills to the finish line. Good luck running.
Tri-Hard Interactive Bike Route

Run/Walk Route:

Breakdown
Nothing too crazy here. Flat running through the streets of downtown Lowell. Consider this a timed cool down.
Tri-Hard Interactive Run/Walk Route

Kayak Route:

2-mile kayak up and down the Flat River,

Breakdown
The Flat River tends to have a negligible current in downtown Lowell. Don't count on having to work harder on your way out, nor a guiding push on the way back.

Bike Route:

Breakdown
Miles 1-6: Just getting warmed up. Take time to get those legs churning as you experience mostly flat terrain and beautiful Fred Meijer Flat River Valley Trail scenery.
Mile 7: Turn it up a notch. Some rolling hills as you start to experience what the glaciers carved out in Lowell, soaking in the sights and smells of Lowell agriculture.
Miles 8-11: Gear-shifter's paradise. Get ready to work your legs as well as your fingers. This is where the hills start to roll one after another.
Mile 12: The Montcalm Mountain. The most devious and lengthy hill on the course. Think you're just about at the top? Think again. If you make it all the way up this hill in the saddle, you have my respect. 
Miles 13-15: The Wall. If you've made it this far, try to fall back in a groove and power through.
Mile 16: WEEEEE! All that hard work is finally paying off. Take this time to let your legs recover as you speed down the final hills to the finish line. Good luck running.

Tri-Harder Interactive Bike Route

Run/Walk Route:

Breakdown
Mile 1: Start this leg by coasting through the streets of residential Lowell, making sure your legs still work. 
Mile 2: Hop on the North Country Trail for, you guessed it, another big hill -- "the Devil's peak." If this hill slows you down at all, try to focus on the positives -- specifically the beautiful view overlooking the Flat River to your left. The rest of mile two has minor speed bumps along the way, but nothing you can't handle at this point!
PLEASE NOTE: this portion of the race will be trail running. Please make sure to watch your step for roots, branches, wildlife that call this place home. 
Mile 3: Finally, some familiar faces. To finish your run (or walk at this point), you will be going down the same route as the bike finish. Finish strong! 

Tri-Harder Run/Walk Route

Refer to the Google Sheet for volunteer opportunities and fill out the Google Survey to sign up. The document below has maps of the routes for reference of position location. 

River Trail Triathlon Volunteer Sign Up