Lake Murray Sprint Triathlon

SWIM: 750 Meters (Lake)
BIKE: 16 Miles
RUN: 5 Kilometers

The Lake Murray Triathlon has become a favorite chance for all South Carolina Triathletes to showcase their talents against the best in the state. Nestled in the center of South Carolina athletes from the Upstate, Midlands and Coastal regions converge into Columbia each year for this sprint distance event.

The swim is one clockwise 750 meter loop. Wetsuits will be legal with expected water temperatures in the low 70's.  Depending on the wind swimmers may encounter light to moderate chop with a small current.

The bike course is long for a sprint distance event - one 16 mile loop. Road surfaces are good with a few rough areas scattered through the course. This is to be expected as the course winds along completely rural roads. Only 5 turns on this course and they are marked with pavement arrows and directional signs. Police and volunteers man the proper intersections.

The 5k run course is very unique in that runners get several opportunities to see where they are in relation to the competition. A one loop course with several out and back spurs gives athletes a chance to see where they are on the course. Relatively flat and shaded, this run course can be very fast!

Aquabike (swim - bike)
SWIM: 750 Meters (Lake)
BIKE: 16 Miles

Aquathlon (swim - run)
SWIM: 750 Meters (Lake)
RUN: 5 Kilometers

Part of the South Carolina Triathlon Series

Packet Pick-up:

Saturday, April 18, 2026 (2PM-4PM)
Outspokin' Bicycles - Irmo
7601 St. Andrews Rd
Irmo, SC 29063

Sunday, April 19, 2026 (6 AM - 7:15 AM)
Dreher Island State Park (Event Site - Under the Pavilion near the Finish Line) 
3677 State Park Rd
Prosperity, SC 29127

2025 Athlete Information Guide (THE 2026 DOCUMENT WILL BE POSTED CLOSER TO THE EVENT)

Participant List can be found HERE

Course Descriptions:

The swim is one clockwise 750 meter loop. Wetsuits should legal with water temperatures in the low to mid 70's. Depending on the wind swimmers may encounter light to moderate chop with a small current.

The bike course is long for a sprint distance event - one 16 mile loop. Road surfaces are good with a few rough areas scattered through the course. This is to be expected as the course winds along completely rural roads. Only 5 turns on this course and they are marked with pavement arrows and directional signs. Police and volunteers man the proper intersections.

The 5k run course is very unique in that runners get several opportunities to see where they are in relation to the competition. A one loop course with several out and back spurs gives athletes a chance to see where they are on the course. Relatively flat and shaded, this run course can be very fast.

Course Maps, including the swim, can be found by clicking on the PDF Icon below.

Bike Course - MapMyRun

Bike Course - Ride With GPS

Run Course - MapMyRun

To defer your registration to the following year, navigate to Profile > Upcoming Events > Manage Registration > Defer Registration.  

To claim a deferral from the previous year, navigate to your profile and use the Deferrals tab to start your claim process to register for the current year.

To adjust parts of your registration such as category,  navigate to Profile > Upcoming Events > Manage Registration > Questions on left hand side. 

To transfer to another event such as aquabike, aquathlon or relay team, navigate to Profile > Upcoming Events > Manage Registration > Transfer Event. 

Additional help can be found on our FAQ page. 

9/11/2025: 2026 REGISTRATION TO OPEN OCTOBER 1, 2025

USAT Sanctioned: This event is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event.

Cut-Off Time: All participants must complete the race in under 2 hours, 30 minutes from the start of their swim.

Event officials reserve the right to pull a participant off the course if it appears as though that participant will not be able to complete the race in under 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Minimum Age: The minimum age allowed for participating in this event is 10 years old.

Timing System: This event will be timed using the My Laps Timing System. 

Shirt deadline is 3 weeks prior to event. T-shirt inventory will be entered into the registration portal at that time and you will be offered inventory that remains during your registration.  Additional shirts will not be ordered.

Refer 3 or more participants and get a refund of up to $15.00.

In the event of inclement weather the following procedures will be followed:

The event will be postponed in hopes the inclement weather will pass. If the inclement weather does not pass in time to complete the event safely in the original or modified format, the event will be canceled. If the weather passes and the event cannot be held within the permitted time limits, the event will be changed to a duathlon format and possibly modified in length to meet these restrictions.

Every effort will be made to hold this event on time on this date. Should this event be canceled due to an Act of God or other circumstance beyond the race directors control there will be no refunds, credits, or transfers.

NO EXCEPTIONS will be made to this policy.

By registering for this event you agree to this weather policy.

Host Hotel:
To be determined...

Awards will be given to the Top 3 in each of the following divisions:

• Open/Advanced (M & F)
• Masters Open/Advanced (M & F)
• Age Groups (M & F): 15 & Under, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85 & Over
• Clydesdale
• Master Clydesdale
• Athena
• ParaTriathlete (M & F)
• Novice (M & F)
• Aquabike (M & F)
• Aquathlon (M & F)
• Co-Ed Relay (Top 3)

SCTS rules state that once you compete in a particular race category in a SCTS race - you must remain in that same category for all future SCTS races in that calendar year. The exceptions to this rule are the Aquabike, Novice and Weight categories. You may begin the year as a Novice and then switch into another qualifying category (ie: Age Group, Clydesdale). For Weight categories (Clydesdale 220+, Master Clydesdale 220+ and Athena 165+) it allows for you to drop to Age Group if you go below the weight limit for the category. If you switch to Aquabike you can switch back to your previous category at any time without penalty.

Below is a brief description of each race category:

Open/Advanced - Category for Elite participants. These are typically the fastest people in the race and they compete on an Elite/Professional level.

Age Group - Participants competing in their age group.

Clydesdale - Category for participants who are over 220 lbs.

Master Clydesdale - Category for participants who are over 220 lbs. and are 40 or over.

Athena - Category for women over 165 lbs.

Aquabike - Category for participants doing the Swim and the Bike only. Your race ends when you cross the Bike Finish mat.

Aquathlon - Category for participants doing the Swim and the Run only.

Novice - Category for beginner participants. Participants competing as a Novice have usually done less than 3 events. No age restrictions.

NOTE: You may fit into one or more of the above categories, so whichever category you choose to compete in is completely your choice. Choose the category that you feel you would have the most fun competing in.

• Relays can comprise of a 2-person (one person does 2 legs, and one person does 1 leg) or 3-person teams (each person does 1 leg of the event). Teams can consist of any mix of genders.
• EACH Relay member MUST pick up his/her own packet.
• EACH Member MUST have their photo ID to pick up their packet.
• If a member is a minor (17 or under), then a parent/guardian must show an ID to get their packet.
• If a member turns 18 by the end of the year (12/31) then they are considered an adult per USAT, thus they must pick up their own packet.
• If you need to replace a relay member, you can manage this from within your registration and profile at RunSignup. Often the team captain will have to be the one to make any changes. 
• Additional help can be found on our FAQ page. 

USAT Rules:  Click HERE to learn the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules

USAT INFORMATION:

USAT states all participants must show a photo ID at packet pick up. You will not be given your race packet without photo ID.
All participants must pick up their own race packet. This applies to individuals and relay team members. 

USA Triathlon requires that all USAT annual members must show their USAT membership card during registration. With
that said you were most likely verified to be an member or not a member DURING registration. Thus, you will not be
required to show your USAT Membership card. We suggest always bringing it with you just in case. 

USAT's "Age Up" Policy:

An athlete's age for any USAT sanctioned race will be his/her age as of Dec. 31 of the current race year. The age he/she is on 12/31 will determine his/her racing age group. If an athlete is due to "age-up" into the next group, it will happen at the beginning of the year, not after the athlete's birthday. This action aligns regular U.S. age group racing with the method used by USA Triathlon for its National Rankings Program and its new Grand Prix Series.

Examples:

• John Smith is 39 and will turn 40 on November 20th. John will be considered 40 for all races in the same year (January-December) and will race in the 40-44 age group at all SCTS races that year.
• Sally Jones is 29 and will turn 30 on July 3rd. Sally will be considered 30 for all races in the same year (January-December) and will race in the 30-34 age group at all SCTS races that year.