Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Middle Distance (70.3)
Triathlon y Bala — Legend 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Location
- Bala, Gwynedd, Wales, UK
- Distance
- 107.7 km total
1.9km swim 87.3km bike 18.5km run
Triathlon y Bala Legend: 6 September 2026 — the Llyn Tegid middle-distance course, a split-time calculator, and real Verus athletes racing it.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Venue
- Registration at Byw'n Iach Penllyn Leisure Centre, Bala, Gwynedd
- Distance
- Middle Distance (70.3) — 107.7km total
- Start Time
- Approximately 9:15am wave start (exact times sent to entrants around 10 days prior).
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- Swim + T1 exit: 1 hour 10 minutes. Bike + T2 exit: 4 hours 50 minutes. First 10K run lap: 1 hour 30 minutes. An overall/full-run cut-off was not found published.
Also this weekend
Sprint (750m/19.3km/5km) and Standard (1,500m/37km/10km) both run the same weekend alongside Legend. The 2026 Standard distance hosts the British Championships, the Welsh Triathlon Super Series Grand Final, and a European Championship age-group qualifier.
Standard
Hosts the 2026 British Championships and Welsh Triathlon Super Series Grand Final.
Sprint
Same weekend, same venue at Llyn Tegid.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 1.9km
An out-and-back swim on Llyn Tegid.
- Venue
- Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake)
- Elevation gain
- 2789ft
- Surface
- Lake — still water.
Wetsuit: Mandatory at or below 15.9°C; forbidden above 22°C (above 24.6°C for age 60+); sleeveless/shorty wetsuits permitted, socks allowed, gloves and boots not.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 87.3km
A loop around Bala Lake and the Berwyn Mountains on rolling moorland and quiet B-roads, with around 1,200m of climbing.
- Venue
- Bala Lake and the Berwyn Mountains
- Elevation gain
- 3937ft
- Surface
- Public road.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 18.5km
Two flat laps alongside Llyn Tegid.
- Venue
- Llyn Tegid
- Elevation gain
- 2789ft
- Surface
- Path.
Wetsuit outlook
Will you need a wetsuit at Triathlon y Bala — Legend?
Water temperature at inland lake in September has typically been 15°C, ranging from 13.8°C to 16°C in eight of every ten years. Against British Triathlon's thresholds for this race's 1900m swim, that means:
Wetsuit mandatory
Below 16°C a wetsuit is compulsory for a 1900m swim under rule 4.2(a).
What would have happened in each of the last 16 years
- Wetsuit mandatory14 of 16
- Optional (recommended)2 of 16
What the organiser says
Mandatory at or below 15.9°C; forbidden above 22°C (above 24.6°C for age 60+); sleeveless/shorty wetsuits permitted, socks allowed, gloves and boots not.
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
There is no overnight bike racking — the transition area opens on race morning and closes around 30 minutes before the first wave, with no re-entry after that.
Triathlon y Bala — Legend Split Calculator
Triathlon y Bala — Legend Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
5:18:21
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where Triathlon y Bala — Legend 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
Tiered pricing ran £224.99-£259.99 for the 2026 edition, which is currently sold out with a closed waitlist ("overwhelming demand"). This is the Legend distance's first return since 2017.
Ballot policy
No ballot — entry is first come, first served, and the 2026 edition has sold out with a closed waitlist.
Age requirement
Legend distance: 18. (Standard: 17. Sprint: 15.)
Charity Places
Tom Harrison House is the official charity partner — no minimum-donation figure or guaranteed-place fundraising scheme was found published.
Race Day Info & Checklist
On the day
- Water and High5 drinks/gels are provided at the transition aid station.
- Chip timing (ankle strap, £55 lost-chip fee) with live/SMS results via TDL Event Services.
- Parking is at Bala Rugby Club, around £5 per car — camping is also available there from Saturday 5pm, £10/person/night.
- Distinctively, finishers get a "finisher coaster" rather than a medal.
- No boxes are allowed in transition (BTF Rule 7.1.c) — only a soft-sided bag or rucksack, or the unmanned bag-drop gazebo.
- Drafting penalties (BTF table): 30 seconds for a first offence at Sprint or shorter, disqualification on a second; 1 minute then 3 minutes then disqualification at Standard/Middle/Long.
Checklist
- Wetsuit, goggles and swim cap for the Llyn Tegid swim
- Bike, helmet (mandatory) and bike shoes for the hilly 87.3km Berwyn Mountains bike leg
- Run shoes and nutrition for the two-lap run alongside the lake
- Cash or card for Bala Rugby Club parking (around £5)
- Your ankle-strap timing chip fitted per race-morning instructions
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the event village for afterwards
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
No specific race-day train guidance is published — this is a rural venue best reached by car.
Parking is at Bala Rugby Club, around £5 per car — pay-and-display, and be considerate of local residents.
Detailed road-closure information isn't published; confirmed by organizers closer to race day.
Spectator guide
A family-friendly event village is set up, though a detailed spectator guide wasn't found published.
No official guidance is published on moving between viewing points.
Where to stay
Bala
+ Closest to the venue, with the most local accommodation choice.
– A small town — can book up around race weekend.
Snowdonia National Park (wider)
+ A wider range of accommodation within a short drive.
– Not walkable — you'll need transport on race morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Triathlon y Bala — Legend 2026?
Sunday 6 September 2026, with wave starts from around 9:15am.
Is Triathlon y Bala — Legend sold out?
Yes — the 2026 edition is sold out with a closed waitlist, reflecting strong demand for the Legend distance's first return since 2017.
How hilly is the Triathlon y Bala bike course?
It includes around 1,200m of climbing around Bala Lake and the Berwyn Mountains on rolling moorland roads.
What other distances run at the Triathlon y Bala weekend?
Sprint and Standard distances both run the same weekend — the 2026 Standard distance also hosts the British Championships and a European Championship qualifier.
What is the minimum age for Triathlon y Bala — Legend?
18 on race day.
Which charity does Triathlon y Bala support?
Tom Harrison House, a charity supporting veterans in addiction recovery.
How do I get to Triathlon y Bala?
This is a rural North Wales venue best reached by car — parking is available at Bala Rugby Club for around £5.
When were Triathlon y Bala results published?
The 2026 race (6 September) has been run and results are published via RaceResult: https://my.raceresult.com/413550/. Male winner: Joe Holt, 3:59:32. Female winner: Catherine Marks, 5:13:21.