Congratulations, you are racing in the 2026 Hermosa Beach Triathlon presented by Libertana! The event will take place on Sunday, August 9 at the Hermosa Beach Pier. Please read the following information carefully.
_______________________________
EVENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, August 8 – Packet Pickup
Location: Sports Basement South Bay (14351 Hindry Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250) – 2nd Floor
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU PICK UP YOUR PACKET ON SATURDAY TO AVOID EARLY MORNING LINES ON SUNDAY.
12:00 pm: Packet Pickup & Body Marking Open
You must bring a picture ID and your USAT card (if you are an annual member) when you pick up your packet.
- You must pick up your own packet
- For Relay Teams, each member must pick up their own packet individually
- If you are under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must accompany you to packet pickup
CHECK IN IS BY BIB NUMBER. YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR BIB NUMBER IN A SEPARATE EMAIL BY THURSDAY, AUGUST 6. PLEASE BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR BIB NUMBER BEFORE YOU GO TO THE REGISTRATION TABLE.
12:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Triathlon Clinics, Raffles*, Free Bike Safety Checks**
- 12:30 – 1:00 pm – Clinic 1 – led by Eden Slezin, Regional Director of Sports Basement Southern California
- 1:30 – 2:00 pm – Clinic 2 – led by Michelle Magnani, Professional USA Triathlete
- 2:30 – 3:00 pm – Clinic 3 – led by Michelle Magnani, Professional USA Triathlete
4:00 pm: Saturday Packet Pickup Closes
*You must attend a Triathlon Clinic to participate in the Raffles
**Sports Basement will provide complimentary Bike Safety Checks — covering things like tire pressure, brakes, and making sure everything’s tight and secure, during packet pickup (first floor). If your bike needs a repair or replacement part, please bring it to Sports Basement ahead of time so their mechanics take care of it properly before race day. If your bike needs a tune-up before the race, see the Basically Free Bike Tunes information and coupon below.
Sunday, August 10 (Race Day) – Hermosa Beach Pier
5:15 am: Packet Pickup, Body Marking & Transition Area Open
6:30 am: Packet Pickup & Registration Close
6:40 am: Mandatory Pre-Race Meeting & National Anthem in Transition Area
6:50 am: Transition Area Closes
7:00 am: Race Starts
9:45 am: Awards Ceremony
10:15 am: All bikes need to be out of Transition Area
_______________________________
2026 WAVE START SCHEDULE
| TIME | WAVE # | SWIM CAP | DIVISIONS |
| 7:00 | 1 | Neon Yellow | Males 14-29 |
| 7:06 | 2 | Red | Males 30-34 |
| 7:12 | 3 | Powder Blue | Males 35-39 |
| 7:18 | 4 | Royal Blue | Males 40-44
Male Mountain Bike |
| 7:24 | 5 | Silver | Males 45-54 |
| 7:30 | 6 | Green | Males 55+ |
| 7:36 | 7 | Navy Blue | Relay Team Swimmers
Thunderthighs Clydesdale |
| 7:42 | 8 | Neon Pink | Females 14-34 |
| 7:48 | 9 | Purple | Athena
Females 35-44 |
| 7:54 | 10 | White | Females 45+
Female Mountain Bike |
_______________________________
PARKING
All athletes and spectators must park in Hermosa Beach Public Parking locations. Please be mindful that many parking locations are limited to 2 or 3 hours. Visit Hermosa Beach Parking to find locations and time limits for all parking locations
- You must obey all City of Hermosa Beach parking ordinances, or your car may be towed
- Parking fees are applicable
- Street parking is also available by meter
Parking is not permitted in the following areas:
- Hermosa Ave between 10th and 14th
- Pier Ave between Hermosa Ave and Ardmore
- 2nd Ave between Valley and Ardmore
_______________________________
PRE-RACE INSTRUCTIONS
Mandatory pre-race instructions will be given in the Transition Area at 6:40 am to inform you about procedures and safety. All cyclists are required to wear bike helmets. Some common disqualifications are glass in the transition area, unfastened helmet chinstraps, and drafting. Also remember that riding is not allowed in the Transition Area. Handlebars must have bar end plugs, or you will be disqualified!
USAT strictly prohibits headphones, earbuds, headsets, and bone-conduction devices during all portions of the race. Athletes may carry a phone or smartwatch and use it for navigation, tracking, or recording race data; however, calls, texts, music, social media, photographs, and two-way communication are not permitted during the race. Violations may result in disqualification if not immediately corrected.
_______________________________
RACECOURSE
Swim: The swim is a ¼- mile ocean swim parallel to the beach, starting and finishing South of the Pier. Pay careful attention to pre-race announcements and the information board for correct wave starts. Wetsuits are recommended. The anticipated water temperature is in the low 70 degrees.
Bike: The 10-mile bike course begins with a small climb up Pier Avenue and then heads up Valley Drive toward Manhattan Beach. The course is generally a smooth loop along Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue between Gould and 2nd Street. You will do three (3) complete laps before coming back down Pier Ave. To avoid confusion, a brightly colored board will be placed at the intersection of Pier Avenue and Valley Drive. DO NOT TURN DOWN PIER AVENUE UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED 3 FULL LAPS. Please note: Use extreme caution on the bike. Valley and Ardmore are very narrow streets and passing will be difficult. However, passing outside of the cone line will result in immediate disqualification.
9:30 am Bike cut-off time: You must have crossed the bike finish by 9:30 am.
Run: The 3-mile run course begins by heading north on the Strand 1.5 miles out and then back. The run course is a paved run. Stay to your right.
Relay Teams: Each team will have one chip that will be passed from relay team member to member for each leg of the race. The relay team’s bike must be on the rack until the swimmer tags the biker, and you must trade the chip at your team’s position on the bike rack.
Click here for the course map.
_______________________________
POST RACE ACTIVITIES & RESULTS
The Award Ceremony will begin at 9:45 am. Please be sure to remove your bike from the Transition Area no later than 10:15 am. Placement medals are awarded 1st – 5th for each Age Group and non- age group division.
Results can be seen immediately by scanning the QR code on your BIB. You will also receive your official results via email shortly after the race.
Trash: Please make sure to pick up all trash left behind in the Transition Area!
Please contact us at hermosabeachtri@mesp.com with any questions.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT THE PIER!
