LA28 Venice Beach Triathlon Course Unveiled
The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic triathlon will be held on Venice Beach, featuring a rare beach swim start and a shared finish line, with the women's event
The LA28 Committee has unveiled the Olympic triathlon course for Venice Beach. The 2028 Los Angeles Games will feature a beach swim start, a singular transition zone adjacent to the finish line, and flat bike and run routes designed for speed. The triathlon events are set in Venice Beach with a shared finish line overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The routes use a central transition area near the beach where Venice Boulevard meets the sand.
The women's individual triathlon will take place on July 15, 2028. The Paralympic triathlons will take place on August 18 and 19, 2028. The cycling course is 40km, made of eight 5km laps along the Venice bike path and surrounding streets, with two technical turnaround points. The run course is 10km, built of four 2.5km laps using parts of the bike path, nearby streets, and bridges crossing the Venice Canals.
Women’s individual event opens medal count
The women's individual triathlon on July 15, 2028, will award the first medals of the LA28 Games. This will begin with a beach swim for only the second time in Olympic history, following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Copacabana Beach event. The men's individual event will take place the next day, on July 16, 2028.
In these individual events, competitors begin with a 1.5 km ocean swim. The women's swim consists of a two-lap format: an opening 1,000m circuit, followed by a 25m run along the beach, and a second 500m swim. Athletes will then complete eight 5 km cycling laps on the Venice Beach path and city streets. After cycling, they will complete a four-lap, 10 km run that crosses bridges in the Venice Canals area.
Men’s and mixed relay formats set
The men's individual triathlon will follow the women's event on July 16. The mixed relay will take place on July 20, 2028, with a four-person team alternating woman-man-woman-man. This relay uses a shorter course where each athlete completes a 350m swim, a 6.6km bike ride, and a 1.6km run before handing off.
| Event | Date | Swim | Bike | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Individual | July 15, 2028 | 1.5 km | 40 km | 10 km |
| Men's Individual | July 16, 2028 | 1.5 km | 40 km | 10 km |
| Mixed Relay | July 20, 2028 | 350 m | 6.6 km | 1.6 km |
Paralympic triathlon to use barge start and adjusted course
Paralympic triathletes will compete on August 18-19, 2028. The swim start will differ from the Olympic event, coming from a barge beyond the breakwater for one lap of 750 meters. Athletes will then complete three 6.6-kilometer laps for a 20km bike leg, followed by two laps of 2.5 kilometers each for a 5km run. Paralympic athletes will compete across six sport classes: PTWC, PTS2, PTS3, PTS4, PTS5, and PTVI.
Course to be tested at 2027 World Triathlon event
LA28 will validate the Venice Beach course during a key test event one year before the Games. Olympic aspirants will have a chance to try the course at the T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice from July 16-18, 2027. This event will test the course and operations. The sport of triathlon's modern form began in southern California in the 1970s before its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000. Shana Ferguson, the LA28 Chief of Sport and Games Delivery Officer, was involved in the course unveiling.
The course will be tested during the World Triathlon T50 Triathlon World Tour event in Venice from July 16-18, 2027.
