Lake Cunningham, Omaha, Nebraska

July 18TH, 2026 | LAKE CUNNINGHAM

After a year away, RipRoar is headed back to Lake Cunningham in Omaha for 2026. We’re teaming up with our friends at True Time Racing to bring a full family weekend of racing with a Saturday evening youth race and our annual RipRoar Relay, and Sunday sprint + Olympic distance events.

Event details

DIVISIONS & DISTANCES

RACE WEEKEND TIMELINE - TBD

*Race timeline subject to change and are fluid - if we get ahead, we stay ahead.

THE COURSE

THE SWIM
Athletes start their day on the beach at Lake Cunningham and will start their swim one at a time. All athletes will complete one lap of the swim. Please note that this lake is deep and athletes will not be able to touch. We will have lifeguards in the water for all three divisions.

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

THE BIKE
The bike course, sponsored by Scheels Des Moines, takes place entirely within the park on closed roads with some technical turns. Seniors will complete 3 laps, Intermediates 2 laps and Juniors 1 lap of the course before returning to the transition area.

THE RUN

The run, sponsored by Certified Piedmontese, will take the athletes over a pedestrian bridge and out on the paved trails. Seniors will complete 3 laps, intermediates 2 and juniors 1 lap.

We will have early packet pick-up the day before the event. Join us the 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!

Information regarding transition opening times will be announced soon.

It is RipRoar’s policy that all athletes (including intermediate and junior division athletes) must set up their bikes, and transition areas before the first race. 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 also 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.

2026 sponsors

The RipRoar Relay is back! Starting in 2018, this event is fun, fast, and a fan favorite. Taking it's origin from the "Mixed-Team Triathlon Relay" event that will debut at the Tokyo Olympics, our 2-person team relay is open to any athlete that races in the main RipRoar event on Saturday. 2-Person teams can be made up of 2 boys, 2 girls, co-ed or adult + kid. There are no age categories for this event, so parents and older siblings can race with juniors and everything in between. 

Each team member will be responsible for completing a full triathlon at the Junior distance before tagging their teammate who will do the same thing. Once both athletes have completed their races in succession their team time will stop.

Questions about the Relay? Check out FAQ’s below!

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