ANSWER THE WILD. RACE KANUGA

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, The Kanuga Triathlon blends endurance with exploration. It’s open water, mountain roads, and forest trails wrapped into one unforgettable day. Designed to test seasoned competitors and encourage those stepping into their first tri, this event delivers grit, beauty, and the kind of atmosphere you just can’t find on city pavement.

You’ll love this race for all the right reasons

Participants enjoy a free commemorative shirt when you register by July 12th ($25 after), custom finisher medal, professional chip timing, age group awards and clearly marked routes with GPS-supported navigation. Add in a supportive atmosphere for newcomers, a well-organized and safety-focused team, and the opportunity to complete the Kanuga Weekend Challenge—and you’ve got a mountain race experience done right.

SIGN UP

The Course

Swim in quiet mountain waters, ride rolling roads framed by towering trees, and run shaded mountain trails that challenge your legs and clear your mind. This course offers real challenge for experienced triathletes while creating an inspiring, welcoming space for newcomers—set against the kind of Blue Ridge backdrop that makes every mile feel meaningful.

SIGN UP

SWIM

600 Meters
(Open Water Swim)

VIEW GPS ROUTE

BIKE

13.5 Miles
(Mixed Surface)

VIEW GPS ROUTE

RUN

5K
(3.1 Miles)

VIEW GPS ROUTE

- SWIM -
The swim takes place in open water and is designed to feel calm, controlled, and approachable. By utilizing a single-loop course and a time-trial start, athletes are able to focus on their own effort without the stress often associated with mass-start swims.

- BIKE -
The 13.5-mile bike course reflects the rolling and curvy terrain typical of Western North Carolina and is primarily paved. The course includes two short unpaved sections (approximately one mile each) used as connectors between paved roads. Road bikes with wide tires and lower tire pressure, gravel bikes, cyclocross and mountain bikes are all appropriate for this course.

The Kanuga Triathlon proudly offers a dedicated E-Bike Division. Learn More

- RUN -
The 5k course showcases the variety and character of the Kanuga trail system. Runners will experience a mix of single-track and double-track trail, forest road, and paved sections, creating a dynamic and approachable trail race. Gentle climbs are balanced with runnable flats, making the course engaging without being overwhelming.

ADDITIONAL COURSE DETAILS

Spend the Weekend

Turn race weekend into a true mountain retreat at Kanuga Inn & Lodging. Choose from comfortable on-site accommodations or primitive camping beneath the trees—both available at discounted participant rates. Stay close to the action, relax with fellow athletes, and wake up immersed in the peaceful Blue Ridge setting.

MAKE A RESERVATION

Complete the Challenge

Kick things off Saturday evening at the Twilight Trail 5K, then return Sunday morning for the Kanuga Triathlon. The Trail & Tri Challenge brings both events together for one unforgettable weekend—and participants earn finisher medals for each race, plus a RUN WNC performance towel and commemorative sticker to celebrate the accomplishment.

TAKE THE CHALLENGE

This race proudly supports

It is the mission, duty and purpose of iDream Athletes Foundation to provide opportunities for Western North Carolina youth and adults who are unable to pay for sporting event fees, coaching, travel expenses and/or equipment to train for and/or participate in our WNC sporting events. This tax-exempt non-profit provides needs-based scholarships. The amounts to be gifted are determined on a case-by-case basis through a criteria-selection process. In addition, we will assist in fueling the growth for local running, cycling and multi-sport champions, teams, clubs, locally owned stores and communities in Western North Carolina by providing resource and financial support when conducting our key activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

All event details can be found on our registration page. Simply click "register" on this page and you will be taken to Race Roster, our registration partner.

Once you register, we will remind you about important details prior to the race. We send an email and text message the week before the event. It will contain a link to our interactive event guide that has everything you need to know in one place.

If you have a question and can't find the answer, we are here to help! Send us a message or email us at support@idaph.net.

Did you register to participate in person but can’t make it on race day? You don’t have to miss out! You can transfer your registration to the virtual event at any point before the start of the race. In the virtual event, you’ll run anywhere you like, post your results, and have your swag mailed to you after the event.

TRANSFERS: All participants can transfer into the virtual version of their event up until the start of the event. Send a message to support@idaph.net to request the transfer. There will be no refunds for the price difference between events. Transfers that occur within seven days of the event will cost $10.

Transfers between participants are prohibited. Participants who run with another runner's bib will be automatically disqualified and bandits will be banned from future iDaph events.

REFUNDS: We have a small, but mighty team that is working on all the details to produce this event safely for you and everyone in our community in attendance. We are incurring the expenses for production well before the day of the event, and we will not be able to provide a refund to you should you want to cancel your registration, or if the event itself has to be canceled due to a change in the status of the pandemic, weather, an act of god, or other unforeseen circumstance.

CANCELLATION: In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as an emergency, an act of god, not receiving approval of final event permits or a change in public health guidelines that results in the inability to have an in-person event, we reserve the right to cancel the event and automatically convert all in-person registrations to the virtual option. Should this occur, your swag will be mailed to you free of charge.

DEFERRALS: We do not allow deferrals from race to race. If you're unable to make it on race day, you may switch to the virtual option.