LA 2028 Olympic Triathlon Venue Includes Rare Beach Start
The Olympic triathlon course for the 2028 Los Angeles Games was released this week by the LA28 Committee, with a start on Venice Beach.
The course will include a singular transition zone that is adjacent to the finish line. It also will feature the first medals of the Olympics, handed out for the women’s individual event on July 15. The men’s race is the next day.
Photo Courtesy: LA28
The swim portion of the men’s and women’s individual races will begin on the beach rather than a pontoon for only the second time in Olympic history. Athletes will swim a 1,000-meter lap off Venice Beach, exit the water for a 25-meter run and dive back in for another 500 meters.
The bike portion will traverse the Venice bike path and into the streets of Venice with eight laps of five kilometers each. It will conclude with four 2.5-kilometer running laps along the Venice Canals before a return to the finish line on the coast.
The mixed relay will take place on July 20, with a four-person team, alternating woman-man-woman-man. Swimming will cover one 350-meter lap, followed by two 3.3-km cycling laps and two 800-meter running laps.
The Paralympic triathlon will be held for the women on Aug. 18 and the men on Aug. 19 for athletes in six classes (PTWC, PTS2, PTS3, PTS4, PTS5 and PTVI). That swim start will differ, coming from a barge beyond the breakwater for one lap of 750 meters. The athletes will complete three 6.6-km laps along the Venice bike path and streets, then run two laps of 2.5-km each.
“With less than two years until we host the Games, we’re excited to share more with athletes, fans and our local communities about the dynamic events they will experience in the Venice Beach Zone during the Olympic and Paralympic Triathlon competitions,” Shana Ferguson, LA28 Chief of Sport and Games Delivery Officer, said in a press release. “This iconic neighborhood will add another meaningful chapter to its storied history as the first LA28 medals of the 2028 Games are awarded here, with the world’s best athletes taking on courses that showcase the energy, character and beauty of this vibrant beachfront neighborhood.”
Olympic aspirants will have a chance to try the course on the T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice on July 16-18, 2027, which will serve as a test event.
