Grays Lake Park, Des Moines, IA

June 27th, 2026 | 8:00AM

Returning for our 5th year in the heart of downtown Des Moines, Gray’s Lake is one of the most storied triathlon locations in the country. For years, Gray’s Lake was the host of the IronKids National Championships, HyVee Triathlon, and the Ironman Des Moines Triathlon. RipRoar Des Moines will look to build on this history by bringing a new generation of triathletes to one of triathlon’s most iconic venues.

The Course

The Swim

Athletes start their day on the beach at Grays Lake Park and will start their swim one at a time. This public beach will be open only to RipRoar athletes who will swim within the normal roped-in beach area. Legends and Seniors will complete two laps of the swim course with a brief run on shore, intermediate and juniors will each complete one lap. Most athletes will be able to touch in all divisions.  

Please note: Athletes will not be allowed to wear a life vest during the swim, due to USAT regulations.

The Bike

This super-fast bike course, sponsored by Scheels Des Moines, involves two long straightaways capped at either end with some technical turns. Legends and Seniors will complete 3 laps, Intermediates 2 laps and Juniors 1 lap of the course before returning to the transition area. This course is perfect for spectators and will allow all loved ones to watch a large portion of the bike.

Please note that athletes will ride “English”, which means they will ride on the left (rather than the right) side of the road.

The Run:

The cross-country style run will take place inside the beautiful Gray’s Lake Park, where spectators will have multiple chances to cheer on their athletes and keep the energy soaring! With excitement at every turn, the course is designed to keep the hype alive all the way to the finish line.

We will have early packet pick-up the day before the event. Join us the Friday afternoon before the race to pick up your packet, check out your transition spot, and find some new RipRoar swag for the season. Packets will include a swim cap, bike number, race bib, and $10 in RipRoar Rewards.

After you pick up your packet, join our course talk where triathletes of all ages and ability levels can learn about how triathlons work - all about transition, gear, and the course that you’ll race the next day!

The course will be marked on Friday afternoon for those that would like to visit the course individually. However, please keep in mind that we do not recommend touring the bike course as it is open to regular traffic.

At 6:30 a.m. on race morning, transition will open for all athletes.

It is RipRoar’s policy that all athletes (including intermediate and junior division athletes) must set up their bikes, and transition areas between 6:30 am and 7:45 am on race morning. All bikes must be racked by either the seat of the bike or by using a kickstand. Please note that we do not allow bike stands in transition due to space. Parents are welcome in transition prior to the race, but will not be allowed in during the running of the events. Don’t worry- RipRoar staff and volunteers are trained and ready to help all athletes as they work their way through transition.

It is a RipRoar policy that athletes need to wait to remove their belongings from transition until the entire race is over.

Athletes will be lined up based on their assigned bib number. We assign bib numbers based on age and gender so that all athletes competing in the same division are grouped together. The order of athletes within these divisions is solely at the race director’s discretion and will not be lined up based on swimming ability.

The RipRoar finish line is unlike anything else, especially during the junior division event. Our belief is a straightforward one: triathlon is a hard sport, and we want to positively reinforce a child’s desire to do hard things. Therefore, we build a massive finish line chute, line it with red carpet, and strongly encourage all athletes and spectators to help make it something special. If we all do our part, we can get these kids addicted to the feeling of crossing difficult finish lines.

Triathlon represents a big challenge for our athletes and we give out big hardware. Every finisher, regardless of place will receive a super sweet finisher medal. In addition, we highlight the top five boys and top five girls from every age (6, 7, 8, etc). The award ceremony is held approximately 20 minutes following the final finisher crossing the line. During this time we invite all athletes to remove all their items from transition. Those looking to leave the venue are welcomed to do so.  

Divisions & Distances

Race Weekend Timeline - TBD

Once a year RipRoar gets to welcome back all former RipRoar racers to its start line. LEGENDS athletes will start where they left off competing on the Senior distance race course just before the Senior Division begins.

The LEGENDS division is open to any RipRoar Alumni. Athletes will compete for top-5 overall across the entire division (not per age) separated into male and female divisions.