Sunday: Reston Triathlon on Streets, Trails and in Lake Audubon

Reston’s premier race returns on Sunday at the 32nd annual Reston Triathlon original.

Born 1984, when triathlons were a relatively new pursuit, the race has grown up along with Reston.

Today’s field includes close to 600 participants and depends on hundreds of volunteers to make it run smoothly.

The race begins at 7 a.m. at Lake Audubon and ends at South Lakes High School. The first finishers will start coming in about 9 a.m. Athletes swim 1,500 meters in Lake Audubon, bike 40K on Reston roads and then run a 10K, mostly on Reston Association paths and the SLHS track.

There will be no parking at Lake Audubon on race day. Race officials say any vehicles parked on Twin Branches near the Lake Audubon Pool will be towed. The best plan for racers is drive to and park at South Lakes High School/Langston Hughes Middle School and drop off  bike/run transition gear at South Lakes High School and ride your bike to the lake. All athletes should plan to be at the lake and ready to swim no later than 6:30 a.m.

Spectators should also park at the schools. It is also possible to park at South Lakes Village Center and then walk the three blocks down Twin Branches to watch the swim portion.

Sunday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 70. It may be much cooler at sunrise when swimmers enter the lake.

Streets on the cycling course will not be shut down, but lanes will be closed and police and volunteers will be directing traffic. Allow for extra time if you have to be somewhere during the race.

Affected streets include: Colts Neck Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, Soapstone Drive, South Lakes Drive, Twin Branches Road, Glade Drive, Reston Parkway and Lawyers Road. Visit the Reston Triathlon website for course maps.

For more history, statistics and other Reston Triathlon information, visit the official Reston Triathlon website.