Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Place: Walloon Village (Melrose Twp.) Michigan
Event Start Time: 7:30AM
Transition Opens: 6:00AM
The Walloon Lake Triathlon offers a sprint distance triathlon, duathlon, and aquabike (swim & bike only). Relay teams (male, female, & co-ed) are also encouraged to participate in both events. The triathlon consists of a 600-meter swim, a 20-K bike, and a 5-K run. The duathlon consists of a 2.5-K run, 20-K bike, and another 5-K run. The aquabike event will be the swim and bike courses only. The first leg of the duathlon will start at the same time as the first wave of the triathlon. Please click the “Course maps” tab for descriptions and maps.
Athlete and spectator parking will be available at Walloon Community Church, located 1/4 mile northeast of the Barrel Back on M-75. There is a dirt trail exiting the west end of the church lot which will bring you right to the race venue. Legacy Marina (same location as Barrel Back) will be the site for Friday and Saturday’s late registration and packet pickup.
Walloon Lake is famous for its pristine waters and sandy bottom. After a deep water start from Legacy’’s boat docks, swimmers will follow a clockwise triangle and exit the water back at the docks and proceed immediately into the transition area in the circle park next to the Barrel Back. Bicyclists will ride West and South along the shoreline of Walloon Lake on an “out-and-back” course with a few gently rolling hills. Upon completion of the bike, athletes will proceed to a fairly flat, two-loop run course through Walloon Village, finishing with a beautiful and flat finish along the shores of Walloon Lake. In addition to a beautiful swim and a scenic bike and run course, athletes will also enjoy a race shirt, finisher awards, post-race food, and discounts from sponsors and vendors.
Weather Policy:
The safety of athletes, volunteers, and spectators is top priority for us. We will do everything that we can do to pull of a safe event. We will race in the rain, but not in the lightning. If adverse weather is present on race day we will take appropriate safety measures as outline below.
If lightning is detected within 10 miles prior to the race start time, the race start will be postponed for a half hour from the last lightning strike. We will postpone the race up to one hour. If lightning persists after an hour, the race will be cancelled as we will lose our water and traffic safety officers and we would not be able to ensure the safety of athletes in the water or on the roads.
If thunderstorms are forecasted for after the race start, but no lightning is detected prior to the race, the race director may make a safety judgement call that may include a variety of options such as canceling the swim, shortening the run, or cancelling the event depending on the chance and severity of the forecast.
Changes to the race due to weather, course conditions, or other unforeseen factors will be communicated on race morning, starting around 4a.
No refunds or deferrals will be offered in the event of an event change or cancellation. (Unfortunately, if we cancel we still incur all of the same costs, and as TriWalloon is owned by a small youth development non-profit, eating those costs is not a viable financial option for us.)
To be clear, we are in the business of putting on an excellent race and cancelling would be a last resort for safety reasons.