Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Olympic
Sandman Triathlon 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 27 September 2026
- Location
- Newborough Forest, Isle of Anglesey, Wales
- Distance
- 54 km total
1.5km swim 42.3km bike 10.2km run
Sandman Triathlon 2026: a beach swim off Llanddwyn, a bike leg across Anglesey and a run through Newborough Forest — date, all distances, course and entry.
17 days to go
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 27 September 2026
- Venue
- Newborough Forest, Isle of Anglesey
- Distance
- Olympic — 54km total
- Start Time
- Not published for 2026 — wave times are confirmed in the final athlete information.
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- Not published in the sources checked — confirm with the organiser.
Also this weekend
Three triathlon distances plus a sprint duathlon. The Sprint is 750m / 22.8km / 5.7km; the Standard covered on this page is 1.5km / 42.3km / 10.2km; the Legend is a 70.3-equivalent at 1.9km / 93km / 20km. The Sprint Duathlon is a 2km run, 23km bike and 5.7km run.
Sprint
Same beach swim and forest run, shorter.
Legend (70.3)
Middle-distance equivalent across Anglesey.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 1.5km
A 1,500m sea swim off Llanddwyn Beach, one of the best-known beaches in Wales, with Llanddwyn Island and the Eryri skyline across the strait. Genuine open sea, so conditions vary far more than a lake swim.
- Venue
- Llanddwyn Beach, Newborough
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sea — open water off an exposed beach.
Wetsuit: Mandatory below 15.9°C; banned above 22°C (24.6°C for age 60+), per the organiser's FAQ — must cover the torso.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 42.3km
A 42.3km ride on the quiet lanes of southern Anglesey — rolling rather than mountainous, with the Eryri range visible across the Menai Strait for much of it. Exposed, so wind is usually the limiting factor rather than gradient.
- Venue
- Southern Anglesey
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Road — rolling rural lanes, exposed to coastal wind.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 10.2km
A 10.2km run through the 700-hectare Newborough Forest and its dunes — pine forest track and soft sand, which is a slower surface than the distance suggests.
- Venue
- Newborough Forest and the dunes
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Trail — forest track, dune and sand.
Transitions
Start, finish and transition are in an exclusive area within Newborough Forest, adjacent to Llanddwyn Beach.
Sandman Triathlon Split Calculator
Sandman Triathlon Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
2:54:42
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where Sandman Triathlon starts and finishes
Sandman Triathlon starts at Newborough Forest, Isle of Anglesey and finishes at Llanddwyn Beach, Newborough. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
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 Always Aim High Events. A Series Bundle links Sandman with the Slateman event in Llanberis for athletes doing both. Pricing was not published in the sources checked.
Ballot policy
No ballot — entry is direct.
Age requirement
Not published in the sources checked — confirm with the organiser.
Charity Places
No formal charity-place scheme is published.
Race Day Info & Checklist
On the day
- The start and finish sit in an exclusive area inside the 700-hectare Newborough Forest, next to Llanddwyn Beach.
- The swim is genuine open sea off an exposed Welsh beach — conditions vary far more than at a lake venue.
- The run is forest track and dune sand, which runs slower than road for the same distance.
- A Series Bundle links Sandman with Slateman in Llanberis in June.
- Race pack: a timing chip on a Velcro ankle strap (£55 charge if lost or not returned), race bib, a bike seat-post flag, and a colour-coded swim hat.
- Event management is bilingual (English/Welsh); live segment results come via timing partner TDL, with photos via Sports Pictures Cymru.
Checklist
- A wetsuit for a September sea swim off Anglesey
- Trail shoes for forest track and soft dune sand
- A bike setup that handles crosswind — southern Anglesey is exposed and flat enough that wind decides the leg
- Something to deal with sand in transition, which is the recurring complaint at every beach triathlon
- Warm dry layers for after: an exposed beach venue in late September is cold once you stop
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
Bodorgan and Llanfairpwll are the nearest stations on the North Wales Coast line, with Bangor the main railhead. All need a taxi or lift onward to Newborough.
Newborough Forest has its own car park; specific race-day parking arrangements are sent out in the organiser's pre-event Final Instructions.
The bike leg runs on open Anglesey lanes — check the athlete information for any managed sections.
Spectator guide
The forest venue covers the swim exit, transition, the run and the finish, which makes one spot enough. Llanddwyn Beach itself is the scenic place to watch the swim.
Newborough Forest is walkable throughout. The bike course loops southern Anglesey on narrow lanes, which are best left to the riders.
Where to stay
Newborough / Dwyran
+ Closest to the venue, quiet, and a short drive to the forest on race morning.
– Very limited accommodation — mostly self-catering rather than hotels.
Menai Bridge / Llanfairpwll
+ More choice, on the rail line, and close to the Menai Strait crossing.
– Around 20 minutes' drive from Newborough.
Bangor / Caernarfon
+ The widest choice on the mainland side, with the main station at Bangor.
– Across the Strait, so race morning means a bridge crossing at an early hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Sandman Triathlon 2026?
Sunday 27 September 2026, based at Newborough Forest on Anglesey.
What are the Sandman Triathlon distances?
Sprint (750m / 22.8km / 5.7km), Standard (1.5km / 42.3km / 10.2km) and Legend 70.3 (1.9km / 93km / 20km), plus a Sprint Duathlon of 2km run, 23km bike and 5.7km run.
Where is the Sandman Triathlon swim?
In the sea off Llanddwyn Beach at Newborough — open water, not a lake.
What is the Sandman run course like?
Forest track and dune sand through the 700-hectare Newborough Forest. Soft sand makes it slower than a road 10K.
Is the Sandman bike course hilly?
Not especially — southern Anglesey is rolling rather than mountainous. The exposure to coastal wind matters more than the gradient.
Is there a bundle with the Slateman Triathlon?
Yes — Always Aim High Events offer a Series Bundle linking Sandman with Slateman in Llanberis.
When were Sandman Triathlon results published?
Results aren't published until after the race — check back here, or the official results source, once the race has taken place.
Do you need a wetsuit at the Sandman Triathlon?
Mandatory below 15.9°C, banned above 22°C (24.6°C for over-60s) — Welsh sea temperatures in late September usually sit well within the mandatory range.