More than 1,400 athletes will race along Newport Beach's Back Bay on Sunday, Nov. 1, when the Optimism Cal Tri Newport Dunes returns for its 48th year.
The event at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina holds a distinction no other triathlon can claim. It is the world's longest-running triathlon held at the same venue, Orange Coast reported, dating to its 1978 debut as the Human Race Triathlon.
Races run from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at 1131 Back Bay Drive. Spectators can watch athletes cross the finish line free of charge.
The official registration page lists 12 event options across two distances. Six are Olympic-distance events: triathlon, RunBikeRun, SwimBike, SwimRun, a 1,640-yard swim and a 10K run. Six are sprint-distance events: triathlon, RunBikeRun, SwimBike, SwimRun, a 400-yard swim and a 5K run.
Registration closes Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10:59 p.m. Parking at the resort costs $15.
The registration page describes typical race-day participation in the 1,500-to-2,000 range. Average water temperature runs about 65 degrees, and wetsuits are legal. Air temperatures average between 57 and 71 degrees.
Cal Tri Events, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes the series, bills itself as the largest national short-course triathlon series in the country. The organization offers free youth races for ages 7 to 17 and free race transfers and deferrals as late as the day before the event, according to a Newport Dunes press release.
In 2024, participants ranged in age from 7 to 82 and traveled from 30 states and seven countries, the press release said.
What to know if you go
- When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 7 to 11:30 a.m.
- Where: Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, 1131 Back Bay Drive
- Parking: $15
- Registration deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10:59 p.m. at newportdunes.californiatriathlon.org
- Events: 12 options across sprint and Olympic distances
