Thousands flock to Orange County for world’s longest running triathlon 

Thousands of athletes descended on Newport Beach Sunday for the 2024 Optimism Cal Tri Newport Dunes Triathlon. 

Nearly 2,000 people registered for the event – some as young as seven and as old as 82 – which functions as the longest running triathlon in the world and is hosted at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina. 

Sunday's events are broken down into 21 different options for athletes of all abilities, including Olympic distance events (such as the original triathlon and the “RunBikeRun,” “SwimBike” and “SwimRun” events; also includes a 10K), sprint distance events (which include a 400-yard swim and a 5K in addition to the four aforementioned events) and youth sprint events. 

Sprint distance triathlons consist of a 400-yard swim, an eight- to 16-mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run; the Olympic level includes a 1,640-yard swim, a 24.8 mile bike ride (or as close as possible) and a 6.2-mile run. Relay events -- which mean that each leg is completed by a different person -- are also available.

Tom Richmond, the CEO and CFO (Chief Fun Officer) of Cal Tri Events, told KTLA 5's Erin Myers that nearly half of Sunday's participants are first-timers and that the Newport Beach race is one of the most well-attended out of any of their events nationwide.

"We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has races from coast to coast," Richmond said. "We are very athlete-focused...we enjoy having big turnouts -- especially from first-timers -- but we also have the Olympic events for folks who are looking to really test themselves."

Richmond also added that first place finishers and last place finishers are equally loved; in fact, the person who finishes last gets a bottle of wine, he said.

The nonprofit runs on donations so that their event can remain affordable and accessible to all. Donations that benefit local charities, organizations and fundraisers can also be made by clicking here.

Cal Tri Events states they started the race as the Human Race Triathlon in 1978 in Newport Beach, and while the Ironman World Championship Triathlon also started in 1978, it moved from its original location on Oahu to its present location in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in 1981, leaving the Newport Beach triathlon as the longest-standing such event to be held in one place. 

More information on Cal Tri Events can be found here.