Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Other Distances
Nepean Triathlon 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 22 November 2026
- Location
- Penrith, New South Wales
- Distance
- 39 km total
1km swim 30km bike 8km run
Nepean Triathlon: 22 November 2026. Australia's oldest triathlon, run since 1982 — 1km swim, 30km bike, 8km run at Penrith. Waves, wetsuit rule and entry.
73 days to go
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 22 November 2026
- Venue
- Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith
- Distance
- Other Distances — 39km total
- Start Time
- Wave starts from 6:45am: male professionals at 6:45, female professionals at 6:47, the Mates wave, teams and 70-plus age groups at 6:50, then men in age bands from 7:00am and all women at 7:25am.
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- No cut-off times are applied to this event, per the organiser's own FAQ.
Also this weekend
The Nepean now sits inside the Redline Games festival weekend. Alongside the original 1km/30km/8km sit the Classic (2km/60km/18km), a Classic Aquabike with no run leg, a Sprint (750m/20km/5km), a Super Sprint with a 200m swim and a 2.5km run, and three TriKidz races for ages 5-6, 7-9 and 10-11.
Classic
The long-course option — a genuine endurance test across the same Western Sydney terrain.
Sprint
Fast and competitive, and the standard step below the Nepean distance.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 1km
A 1km swim in the Olympic rowing lake, starting in front of the rowing finish tower near the triathlon finish line. Each wave is directed into a swim compound for a compulsory race briefing by the Race Referee before entering the water, and every swimmer has to be behind the line or the start is held.
- Venue
- Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Man-made lake — flat, sheltered, no current.
Wetsuit: Wetsuits are permitted below 22°C. The Triathlon Australia technical team takes a final water temperature reading an hour before the start and announces it over the loudspeaker — so the decision is made in public, on the morning.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 30km
Thirty kilometres on the roads around the Regatta Centre and Penrith. The bike compound opens at 5:30am and everyone has to be out of it by 6:40am; helmets on and fastened, chip on the left ankle, bike number on the bike and helmet sticker visible, for inspection by the technical officials on the way in.
- Venue
- Penrith and the roads around the Regatta Centre
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sealed road.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 8km
Eight kilometres around the Regatta Centre and its lake, finishing beside the swim start.
- Venue
- Sydney International Regatta Centre
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sealed path — flat.
Wetsuit outlook
Will you need a wetsuit at Nepean Triathlon?
Water temperature at inland lake in November has typically been 19.3°C, ranging from 18.1°C to 20.4°C in eight of every ten years. Against World Triathlon's thresholds for this race's 1000m swim, that means:
Wetsuit optional — and recommended
Between 15.9°C and 22°C a wetsuit is permitted. Most age-groupers wear one throughout this band.
What would have happened in each of the last 16 years
- Optional (recommended)16 of 16
What the organiser says
Wetsuits are permitted below 22°C. The Triathlon Australia technical team takes a final water temperature reading an hour before the start and announces it over the loudspeaker — so the decision is made in public, on the morning.
Estimated from air-temperature history — no direct measurement of this water exists, and small, shallow venues tend to run a degree or two warmer than shown. The official temperature is taken an hour before the start, and only that reading decides the rule on the day.
Transitions
The bike compound opens at 5:30am and closes at 6:40am, and competitors keep the same rack position throughout the race. Everything — swim start, transition, finish — sits inside the Regatta Centre.
Nepean Triathlon Split Calculator
Nepean Triathlon Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
2:08:00
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where Nepean Triathlon starts and finishes
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Entry & Ballot
Direct entry summary
Entry is through Race Roster, at release pricing: A$183 individual and A$220 team at the launch offer, rising through first, second and third releases to A$244 and A$293 on the day. A one-day licence fee of A$22.50 applies if you are not an AusTriathlon member.
Ballot policy
No ballot — entry is direct and release-priced, so entering early saves real money.
Age requirement
The Nepean distance is open to 14 and over as of December 2026. The Classic and Aquabike take 15-plus individuals or 14-plus teams; the Sprint takes 14-plus either way. TriKidz covers ages 5 to 11, and there is a 12-plus option below the Nepean.
Charity Places
No formal charity-place scheme published for this event.
Race Day Info & Checklist
On the day
- Australia’s oldest triathlon, run continuously since 1982 and drawing more than 1,000 competitors.
- The Sydney International Regatta Centre has been its home since 1999 — the same Olympic venue IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney uses.
- A compulsory race briefing by the Race Referee is held in the swim compound before each wave enters the water.
- The bike compound opens at 5:30am and closes at 6:40am. Helmet on and fastened, chip on the left ankle, bike and helmet numbers visible, for inspection on the way in.
- Wetsuits are allowed below 22°C, with the final reading taken an hour before the start and announced over the loudspeaker.
- Entries transfer to another person up to seven days before for a A$15 fee, and between distances up until race day subject to availability — an unusually flexible policy for an Australian race.
- The published swim evacuation protocol is worth reading: continuous whistles or horns means leave the water for the nearest shore.
- Three aid stations on course, passed six times in total across the race — water, electrolytes and cola. No bags are permitted in transition, and helmets must be fastened, side straps under the ears, before entering.
Checklist
- Bike racked before 6:40am, with helmet fastened, chip on the left ankle and both numbers visible for the officials
- Your own wave time known — they run from 6:45am to 7:25am and are set by category, not by choice
- A wetsuit brought but not counted on; the 22°C call is made an hour before the start
- An AusTriathlon membership, or A$22.50 for the one-day licence
- Your rack position memorised, since you keep it throughout the race
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
Penrith station is about an hour from Sydney Central on the Sydney Trains network, and roughly 10km from the Regatta Centre. Most competitors drive; it is about fifty minutes from the CBD.
Parking is inside the Regatta Centre precinct.
Closures on the roads around the Regatta Centre and Penrith for the bike leg.
Spectator guide
The Regatta Centre grandstand covers the swim start and finish, transition and the run — a purpose-built spectating venue, which is rare in triathlon.
You do not need to move. The swim, both transitions, the run and the finish are all inside one precinct.
Where to stay
Penrith
+ Closest accommodation to the Regatta Centre, on the train line from Sydney, and far cheaper than the city.
– Still about 10km from the venue, so a car or lift is needed on race morning.
Sydney CBD
+ Everything, if you are visiting anyway.
– A fifty-minute drive out before a 5:30am bike compound opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Australia's oldest triathlon?
The Nepean Triathlon, run continuously since 1982. It has been held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith since 1999.
What distance is the Nepean Triathlon?
The original Nepean distance is a 1km swim, a 30km bike and an 8km run. The festival also carries a Classic at 2km/60km/18km, a Classic Aquabike, a Sprint at 750m/20km/5km, a Super Sprint and three TriKidz races.
What time does the Nepean Triathlon start?
Waves from 6:45am: male professionals at 6:45, female professionals at 6:47, the Mates wave, teams and 70-plus at 6:50, men in age bands from 7:00am and all women at 7:25am.
Are wetsuits allowed at the Nepean Triathlon?
Below 22°C. The Triathlon Australia technical team takes a final water temperature reading an hour before the start and announces it over the loudspeaker.
How old do you have to be to race the Nepean Triathlon?
14 and over as of December 2026 for the Nepean distance. The Classic and Aquabike take 15-plus individuals or 14-plus teams, and the Sprint takes 14-plus either way.
Can you transfer a Nepean Triathlon entry?
Yes — to another person up to seven days before for a A$15 fee, or between distances up until race day subject to availability. That is unusually flexible for an Australian race, where most entries are strictly non-transferable.
How much does the Nepean Triathlon cost?
Release pricing from A$183 individual and A$220 team at the launch offer up to A$244 and A$293 on the day, plus A$22.50 for a one-day licence if you are not an AusTriathlon member.