_ 2017 Sandling Beach 50:

One of two fall races convenient for Triangle area residents, Sandling Beach State Recreation Area is located on Falls Lake – directly across Hwy 50 from Beaverdam State Recreation Area. Set Up Events once held the Duke Blue Devil (iron distance race) at Beaverdam in the early 2000’s. The Duke Blue Devil turned out to be a precursor to Set Up’s popular Beach2Battleship race held in Wilmington. As with the other venues that comprise the 2016 Centennial Endurance Challenge, there is lots of parking at the race site.

The swim for the Sandling Beach 50 will start and finish on the huge white sandy beach at Sandling Beach. The one mile swim will be a triangular shaped course.  This probably will not be a wetsuit legal race, but it will likely be a race day decision. We’ll obviously keep you posted as we get to race week on the official water temperature.

The 40 mile bike course exits the park and heads north on Hwy 50 for about two miles and then heads west on Old Weaver Rd. The bike course heads up around the town of Butner and then back near the town of Creedmoor before heading back down Hwy 50 to the park entrance.  There are no serious climbs to speak of on this bike course, just a series of rollers and small hills combined with long stretches of flat road.

Like all the races in the Centennial Endurance Challenge, the 9 mile run course stays completely inside the park boundaries. It’s a two loop course with each loop being 4.5 miles, and because the run is entirely on park roads, practically the entire run course will be shaded on race day.