By: Daphne Kirkwood

Some things stay with you. Triathlon has always been one of them.

Triathlon has been a part of my life for a long time—long before race directing, long before iDaph Events, long before I understood how complex it can be to create space for something meaningful in a community.

When we lost our local triathlons due to the damage Hurricane Helene caused to our local pools, it didn’t just feel like the end of an event. It felt like we were no longer servicing a niche in this community that has been deeply important to me—personally and professionally. Triathlon dreams came true for me. It’s such a fun sport: challenging, humbling, but doable. And suddenly, that door felt closed.

Still, we never stopped trying.

I knew that if triathlon was ever going to come back locally, in a way that truly worked for Western North Carolina, it would likely have to be us. Not because we wanted ownership of it—but because we have the equipment, the experience, and the lived understanding of what makes a triathlon feel welcoming instead of overwhelming. We’ve stood on these start lines. We’ve trained through injuries. We’ve built events when the easier choice would have been to walk away.

And we’ve been here before.

In 2020, when we weren’t able to produce the DuPont races due to permitting challenges during COVID, Kanuga Conference Center stepped in and opened their property to us. That experience was stunning—beautiful, expansive, and generous in spirit. Later, we shifted that trail event into a road format in Hendersonville to better serve families and pair with the Farmers Market. But we never closed the door on Kanuga.

Some doors are meant to reopen when the timing is right.

That’s why I’m incredibly grateful—and honestly proud—to officially share that we are bringing triathlon back with the Kanuga Triathlon, taking place Sunday, August 9, 2026.

This isn’t just a new event on the calendar. It’s the result of tireless searching, waiting, reimagining, and believing that triathlon still belongs here. Finding a location that can truly support a triathlon is incredibly difficult. You need the water first and foremost. You need a safe, appropriate bike course. You need a run that challenges without crushing. Kanuga didn’t just say yes—they welcomed this vision. We see this as the beginning of something lasting.

We also hope folks will consider making this a bit of a staycation — a weekend away with family or friends. Rent a cottage, grab a hotel room, find a cozy cabin, or simply come spend a few days exploring the area, sitting around the bonfire with us and settling into the slower pace that makes this place so special.

Accessibility has always mattered to me—not as a trend, but as a value. To me, accessibility means that people feel welcome showing up with what they have and where they are. Triathlon already asks a lot: three sports, three skill sets, and a fair amount of courage. We don’t need to add unspoken rules about who “belongs.”

That mindset guided many of the choices we’re making for this event—from a time-trial swim start that helps ease open-water nerves, to clearly defined divisions that respect both fairness and inclusion. The goal is simple: create an experience that feels challenging, supportive, and genuinely inviting.

The bike course itself reflects that same philosophy. For those who’ve been around our events for a while, parts of it will feel familiar — it draws from routes many may recognize from the old Asheville Off Road Series, where adventure, adaptability, and fun mattered more than perfect pavement. This is not a course designed for a traditional triathlon bike with skinny tires and aero wheels. Instead, it’s built for the masses — road bikes with wider tires, cyclocross and gravel bikes, mountain bikes, and yes, e-bikes as well. The course includes two short sections of off-road service style roads (not singletrack trail), each roughly a mile in length, featuring packed dirt and some gravel. The goal is to meet athletes where they are and create a bike leg that feels challenging, approachable, and genuinely enjoyable.

We’re also grateful to once again have Jay Hamvas of JBird Multisport Coaching supporting athletes through the training process. Triathlon is better when people feel guided—especially if they’re returning after time away or trying something new.

One of the most common questions we hear across all of our events is, “Can we please have more trail races?” Permitting has become increasingly difficult in our region, which makes places like Kanuga even more meaningful. With its network of off-road roads and trails, we’re also excited to offer a Saturday evening trail race—a shakeout run, a standalone experience, or simply a way to be part of the weekend if triathlon isn’t your thing. No pressure. Just an invitation to move through a really special place.

Triathlon gave me variety in my training when I needed it most. It gave me a community to belong to. It kept me cross-training when all I wanted to do was run—and my body wasn’t having it. Even today, that balance still shapes how I train. It’s given me longevity, perspective, and a fallback when injury creeps in.

To the longtime triathletes reading this: consider coming back. I know—you’re older. You’re not as fit as you once were. You might not come close to winning. But who really cares? Goals are still in season. Having this on your radar for the end of summer might be the thing that gets you swimming, biking, and running again this spring. And what a homecoming it will be to see familiar faces we used to race alongside years ago.

If I could say one thing directly to our WNC triathlon community, it would be this:
Let’s rally. Let’s support this comeback. Let’s show up for something that still belongs here.