Sea to Summit
Triathlon
Race Details

We want to thank you for registering to be part of the 2026 Sea to Summit Triathlon, to be held on July 25.  Among the eight races which we direct, S2S is a favorite. And a favorite of our racers, too: Sea to Summit was voted as one of the top five “bucket list” races in the world by the Triathlete’s Choice Awards.

This guide is our attempt to cover every detail which we have either experienced or could envision. Please take the time to read carefully and have your porter read as well. 

Here’s where many of our athletes go to chat about the race, ask questions and share tips:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/424651539830840

We think most questions are answered below but if you have one please email Kathleen about registration, USAT and porter questions and Andy about anything else.

Train safely, and we’ll see you soon!

Sincerely,

Andy Scherding, andy@neeevents.com
Kathleen Walker, kathleen@neeevents.com

SWIM:
Current temperature of 75F gives us  a wetsuit-legal swim

BIKE:
Mile 2  (Blackberry Hill Rd, to stop sign): rough road — nothing we haven’t all seen before in New England, but get off the aerobars
Mile 7.5  (Salmon Falls Rd): alternating single-lane traffic due to road construction. WAIT FOR GREEN LIGHT
Mile 15-16  (Rt 125, E. Rochester): rough road
Mile 24-25  (Rt. 125 near intersection with Rt 16):  Grooves in pavement due to road construction
Mile 26  (about a mile further down the road): Same — grooves in road
Mile 29-35  (Rt 153, Wakefield): rough road periodically along this stretch
Mile 40  (Rt 153, North Wakefield): rough road
Mile 46  (Rt 153, Effingham): rough road
Mile 50-54  (Rt 25/160, immediately after re-entering Maine):  alternating between grooves in road and newly paved, smooth surfaces
Mile 56  (Rt 160):  remember to turn left at ice cream stand to continue to follow 160
Mile 85  (near end of North-South Rd):  the road ahead of you is one-way in the other direction. But hop on the sidewalk/designated bike trail to save a ton of time

RUN:  
The rangers are currently giving us a “looks good,” but check back here in case weather conditions change at the summit

• LATE BREAKING NEWS! For all athletes, your bicycle ride must not enter the Town of Freedom NH. This is a must for 2026. We have shown one alternate route in the below section titled “Bike Ride”

• All athletes must attend the pre-race zoom meeting on Sunday, July 19 at 7pm, or view the recording afterward. A link to the meeting will be emailed to all participants.

• All athletes must pick up their race packet the evening before the event, or contact the race director at least two days ahead of event. Note: for 2026 packet pickup location has changed: See the “Friday” entry in the above Schedule.

• All athletes must have a designated porter (support person). Multiple athletes who wish to use one porter should discuss this with race director (email to andy@neeevents.com) at least two weeks ahead of the event

• All athletes must affix their race number and “safety tail light” to their bike’s seatpost (supplied at packet pick-up). If a racer changes bikes en route, he/she must also transfer the bike number and tail light

• All athletes agree to review, fully understand, and abide by USAT rules regarding drafting on the bike leg. Time penalties will be assessed for violations. Eight vehicles will be on the course, all with authority to document infractions. Note: USAT’s bike drafting rules have recently changed. Review them here.

• All athletes must have a valid USAT membership. Please bring proof of your USAT membership with you to packet pickup. If your annual membership has expired or you are not already a USA Triathlon member, you must purchase the one day license ($34.99/individual, $9/relay) through the link in your registration email.

• All athletes and their porters — especially on the bike ride — must conduct themselves in a manner that is nothing less than exemplary. Over the past two years we have received too many complaints from local residents and town officials about rude or uncaring actions by some riders and some porters. Examples are: trespassing on private land (often for potty stops); parking by porters in private driveways; not riding along the edge of the road; failure to stop at lights and stop signs; and littering. Those people are putting future years of the race at risk!

• All athletes must have prepared their run backpack to meet race specifications (see “Run” below). If your porter is accompanying you up the mountain, he/she needs their own backpack with the same items! Both backpacks must be presented to race staff at T2 (Wildcat) before the racer arrives (allow 15+ minutes). Keep in mind the accompanying hiking porter may drop out at the Hermit Lake checkpoint (announce such to our staff); otherwise both racer and porter must arrive together at the finish line

• All athletes agree to present themselves for a medical check after arriving at T2, and agree to abide by the decision of the medical professional as to their ability to continue

• All athletes agree to abide by the intermediate cut-off times set by the race organization

With a start time of 5:30am, athletes are expected to have concluded their swim by 6:30am.

The most critical time cut-off, however, will be at T2, at the end of the bike leg. We have extended this time limit due to the need for all cyclists to not travel through Freedom NH in 2026. Athletes must have arrived at Wildcat Mountain by 1:30pm and have passed a medical check in order to be allowed to continue.

Additional athlete cut-offs are 3:00pm at the AMC shelter near Hermit Lake, and 5:00pm to be an official finisher at the mountain top.

Under no circumstances will an athlete be allowed to proceed as an official racer if they miss any of these cutoff times. Should they continue they will be considered to have left the race, with no further assumption of responsibility by the event organizers. All vehicles are ordered off the mountain by New Hampshire park staff at 6:00pm, and it’s a long walk down.

Please understand the reasons why these limits have been put in place. As the sun sets (much earlier on this, the eastern side of the mountain) the darkness on the headwall increases rapidly and temperatures plummet. Staff and volunteers at various points on the mountain need to get back down to safety before dark. Don’t put them at risk.

Transition Area 1: 

Parking lot of the Spring Hill Recreation Area. Transition will open at 4 am
NOTES:

• The road to Spring Hill passes several residential homes. Please respect their privacy, drive slowly, and keep voices low (especially on race morning)
• Athletes may park in the parking lot and on the approach road to the Spring Hill Lodge. After the swim, porters and families/friends must keep their vehicles parked until race staff directs them to leave.
• Portable restrooms will be available. Do not enter the lodge and function hall searching for a bathroom!
• We will have advanced detection devices in the transition area. Be prepared to present your bike to race officials upon their request for a thorough check. E-bikes — even without the battery installed — are prohibited from this race.
• The race-supplied tail light (or one of your own, fully charged lights) on your bike must be turned on before you head over to the start area for the beginning of the swim.
• Bike racks will be on a smooth asphalt surface. Open racking…select your own spot. No more than 3 bikes to each side of any bike rack.
• Swimming is allowed the day before the race (after 6pm!) as well as warm-ups in the 15 minutes prior to the swim start.
• Thunderstorm warnings cancelled the 2017 swim. They sometimes happen in this part of New England in summer. Please be advised the swim leg may be postponed, shortened or cancelled. But any postponement window will be short, given the need to scale a mountain later in the day.

…is provided at T1 by Jerry’s Bike Barn of Berwick. Note: this bike support is only available at the start area from 4am until 6:30am. There is no on-the-course bike support. Jerry can help with flats, brakes and components which may have fallen out of alignment. It is expected your bike received a complete tune-up before you traveled to the race!

We will start the race with a 1.2 mile swim in Knights Pond in South Berwick, near the Atlantic Coast. Many of you may have visited here before: it is the site of the swim for each September’s Pumpkinman Triathlon.

Important: pre-race scouting of the pond is allowed any day with the exception of the day before the race (Friday). This is because of an afternoon wedding held on the premises.

• There will be two loops of a triangular course, counter-clockwise, Total will be approx. 2150 yards (2000 meters)
• As a USA Triathlon sanctioned event, we follow their regulations regarding wetsuits. Wetsuits are not mandatory (water temp has been in excess of 72 degrees the past two years). In the unlikely event the water temp reaches 78 degrees on race day, use of a wetsuit becomes optional. However, those who wear one would be banned for awards eligibility.
• All athletes must wear swim caps provided by the race. Latex allergy? Bring a brightly colored swim cap of your choice and notify personnel at packet pick-up
• Swim warm-ups are allowed in the morning before race. Note: there may not be lifeguards on the water ahead of the race start
• Safer-swimmer-type buoy devices are allowed. Pull buoys, paddles etc. not allowed
• Lifeguards (on rescue boards) and escorts (in kayaks) will be present on the course during the swim leg of the race. You may pause your swim to rest at a kayak before continuing
• At the head lifeguard’s discretion any swimmer may be towed to shore by a kayak or rescue board, and they no longer will be eligible for awards. They will be allowed to finish the race.
• Your porter is responsible for picking up your gear after you leave transition. They must be very aware of other racers and stay out of their way!
• Porters and families/friends must keep their vehicles parked until race staff directs them to leave.

• You may cycle along any road with these exceptions:
  • any stretch of ROUTE 16 SOUTH OF NORTH CONWAY
  • any stretch of ROUTE 4 NORTHBOUND
  • anywhere in the TOWN OF FREEDOM, NH
• There are no race-specific directional signs along the course; you are responsible for charting your own route by pre-scouting, review of maps, internet mapping services, past racer’s online postings (such as ridewithgps or Strava) or by following our cue sheet (below). You may also converse with your porter during the race as long as the porter is not in a moving vehicle at the time
• There are no restrictions as to the type of bicycle you may use (except no e-bikes will be allowed — not even with the battery removed!), nor the type of road surface on which you may travel (gravel bikes are allowed)
• There are no restrictions as to the type of wheels you may use on your bike. Be advised that as you climb the lower slopes of the White Mountains, winds may increase. Check the forecast for WILDCAT MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, NH on weather.com before deciding on race wheels
• Bike changes and wheel changes are allowed en route but if it’s a different bike your bike number tag and safety light must also be switched (option: affix a fully charged safety light to the rear of your spare bike beforehand)
• Athletes are allowed to visit their porter’s vehicle at any point in T1, T2 or parked just off the bike course (in a safe location from other traffic), but once a vehicle moves with you inside you are disqualified from the competition.
• Your helmet chin strap must be securely fastened BEFORE you remove your bike from the rack to head out on the ride
• We will strictly enforce the USA Triathlon “no drafting” rule. Marshals will be on the course: both moving and hidden.
• No transfer of any items are allowed from a moving vehicle directly to a cyclist. Porters must park completely off the road surface and only then may they stand aside the road or turn-out to pass items to a rider. Penalty may be disqualification.
• Stay to the right except when passing
• If you hear, “On your left,” you are about to be passed. Stay right. Likewise, verbally communicate when passing others
• LITTERING is grounds for a time penalty
• Follow all rules of the road as if you are on a recreational ride. Porters must follow all rules as well — including obeying stop signs (This is important, as numerous porters involuntarily contributed over $1000 to Carroll County’s treasury one year by rolling through stop signs…which upset not only the sheriff’s deputies but also town officials as well
• Note: Five (5) railroad crossings. Hit ’em at a perpendicular angle!
• Most commonly used route is shown on mapmyrun here. Or, view it on ridewithgps here
• If you are doing any communication by cellphone with your porter, be aware that cell phone coverage is spotty/non-existent for much of the bike course past Mile 30 and before Mile 75. Plan accordingly.
• The 90+ mile bike leg has a total elevation gain of 6,000 feet. 1600 of it is over the final 11 miles. Pace accordingly.

For decades, the tradition of this race has been to not designate a “set” bike course, but rather allow competitors to choose their own “fastest way” to Wildcat Ski Area — as long as it is via a non-motorized bicycle. However, the race has always published a “most frequently followed route.”  Here is that route:

MapMyRide: https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/6717805668/

RideWithGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55231733

Cue Sheet:

– As you exit the Spring Hill Lodge, turn right onto Pond Rd.

– At the end of Pond Rd. carefully turn left onto Portland Street (designated Rt 4 South), Warning: you are crossing traffic, exercise caution [Mile 1.5]

– Very shortly after, turn right onto Blackberry Hill Road. Stay on this road to its end — but note that it takes a sharp left turn when it meets Love Brook Rd. and Guinea Rd. It almost looks like you should be going straight — but don’t! [Mile 5]

– Turn left onto Berwick Rd. for a quick few seconds, then right onto Rt. 236/Allen Rd. (Option, turn right onto Berwick Rd. and join up with 236 in 3/4 mile or so.). [Mile 6]

– When you arrive in the Town of Berwick you will see a “End of Rt 236” sign. Keep going straight at the Rt 9 intersection onto Wilson St.  [Mile 6.1]

– When you can no longer go straight (the street becomes one way in the other direction) turn left onto Sullivan St. This intersection is where the parking lot is located where you will have picked up your race packet the previous day. [Mile 6.3]

– Very shortly after, turn right onto Eleanor’s Street (at the town hall) and keep bearing right onto Rochester St.  [Mile 6.5]

– Stay on Rochester Street (it will turn into Salmon Falls Road) all the way to Route 125 in Rochester (2020 Note: much of this road is bumpy!) [Mile 14.5]

– Take a right on Route 125 (Milton Road) In Union. Rt 125 merges with 153. You will cross over Route 16 at a stoplight. Dangerous intersection! [Mile 26.7]

– Follow Route 153 through Wakefield and Effingham (some turns along the way, just stay following 125) to Huntress Bridge Rd. [Mile 49]

Turn right onto this at-first paved road which turns into a very hard-packed dirt road (only for several hundred yards, which saves you 3 miles, so you can go slowly and still gain time savings). At Route 25 turn right. [Mile 50]

– Within 100 yards you will soon be in Maine, where Rt 25 is now designated as Rt 160. Follow this road to Brownfield. Note: a series of short turns in Porter (also sometimes marked with the neighborhood names “Kezer Falls” or “South Hiram”) to put you on Brownfield Rd North (which is also designated Rt 160). [Mile 56.7]

– At the end of Rt. 160 (now in Brownfield) turn left onto Main Street [Mile 67]

– In less than a mile Main Street turns into Hampshire Rd. Continue following. Turn right onto Center Conway Rd. You will soon be re-entering New Hampshire where the name of this road will change to Brownfield Rd. [Mile 72]

– Past the Conway Lake Boat Ramp the name of the road will change again to Mill St. [Mile 76]

– In Center Conway, turn left onto Rt 302. You will soon be making a right, following the designated Rt. 302.  [Mile 78]

– Turn right onto North-South Rd. Follow to Kearsarge Road (one block before the end). [Mile 83]

– Turn right on Kearsarge Road, and left onto The Lane, followed by a left onto Mechanic St, then a quick right onto Pine Street. This street makes a sharp left before it ends at 16/302 (exactly opposite the entrance to this road from River Rd, which was the used in past years of this race). [Mile 83.5]

– Watch traffic patterns of cars carefully then turn right onto 16/132. Continue to the intersection where 16 and 302 split into different roads. Take a right on Route 16 (Storyland amusement park will be coming up on your right) [Mile 89]

– Follow Route 16 to Wildcat Ski Area on your right. Dismount soon after turning into the parking lot so that you don’t get mixed up in the gravel surface. [Mile 101]

Look for the NEEE vehicles and tent! 

Transition Area 2: As you approach the 90-mile mark of the bike and begin to climb Route 16 out of North Conway, your destination is the Wildcat Ski Area, located on the right-hand side of the road. Please exercise caution as you enter into the parking lot. The surface is a mix of asphalt and dirt — which with a decelerating bike and a tired rider creates perfect conditions for a fall. We suggest a pre-race scouting trip to Wildcat.

(While you’re scouting out Wildcat, also visit the nearby Pinkham Notch Visitors Center — where your run turns into a climb. Read the park’s signs! There are several hiking trails leading from Pinkham out to the mountains surrounding and including Mt. Washington, and you certainly don’t want to take the wrong one. We will have support personnel at Pinkham and on the lower trail of the mountain but it’s a large area and it would be easy to become confused.)

GPS address of Wildcat is: 542 NH-16, Gorham, NH

GPS address of Pinkham Notch is: 361 New Hampshire 16, Gorham, NH

Porters: We suggest you do not drive to Wildcat until after your racer has passed Storyland Amusement Park at the intersection of Routes 16 and 302. Pass them and head up the hill.

IMPORTANT! What you need to have in your run backpack to be allowed to continue onto the run as an official racer:

• a wind-breaking, water-resistant jacket
• a base layer in addition to what you might be wearing (wicking material recommended) for your upper body (a lower body base layer not mandatory but recommended)
• warm hat and gloves
• 36 ounces (1065 ml) of liquid
• solid or gel food source(s) totaling 1000 calories for men, 800 calories for women
• 1 pack of salt tab
• basic first aid kit (a “backpacker’s kit” is fine)
• ace bandage
• sunscreen (travel size is fine)
• flashlight or headlamp which operates on alkaline batteries, with a spare set of batteries. (You can always change your batteries, but on the mountain you can’t recharge a depleted chargeable flashlight). If you love your chargeable headlamp, then bring it and simply add a small flashlight with extra batteries to your backpack.

Also, hiking poles may be of help for some athletes. But practice with them (on a rocky slope) in advance!

All athletes must agree to be checked by a medical professional before being allowed to head out on the run. If at this checkpoint you are asked to wait a bit before continuing — perhaps to eat and drink and regain your bearings — please understand this is for your safety and is the honest judgement of an impartial but qualified clinician. If you are told that your race must stop at this point, please also honor the request without fuss. By simply getting to this point you have accomplished a difficult feat — and the afterparty awaits as your reward.

Restroom facilities are at the Wildcat Base Lodge, located next to T2. About a kilometer into the run, more restroom facilities are available at Pinkham Notch, as well as mid-mountain and at the summit.

• Your porter must arrive at T2 at least 15 minutes before you do to present your run backpack for inspection. If he/she does not, it could delay your run start
• Our suggestion: as your porter passes through North Conway (where cell phone reception is good) he or she may wish to log in by cellphone, laptop or tablet to the Mount Washington Observatory website for the latest report on weather conditions
• Be sure to present yourself at the NEEE tent to pass a medical check before heading off on the run
• You will start off running toward Jackson (in the opposite direction which you were headed on the bike) on a slightly uphill stretch for 1 kilometer to Pinkham Notch. You will cross the road at a safe opportunity. As you enter into the hikers’ parking lot, the trailhead is located to the left of the lodges and visitors center.
• Several signs outside the visitor’s center point to the Tuckerman’s Ravine Trail, which will be your only route up the mountain. Note: changing conditions throughout the season (yes, snow in July has happened) may cause U.S. Forest Service rangers to erect temporary detour signs. Please follow them.
• The Tuckerman’s Ravine Trail is well marked but there are other trails leading up the mountain. Please be warned: if you take one, you are completely on your own, and will be considered to have left the race. However, every trail intersection is marked so it would be difficult to venture off in error.
• It is a 4.4-mile journey from Pinkham Notch to the finish; however keep in mind that for each mile you travel you will average over 1000 vertical feet of altitude gain. The last two miles are the most difficult.
• You are allowed to bring your porter or another companion along for the climb as long as they are physically fit, have signed the pre-race waiver, have presented his/her own backpack for inspection in T2 (same supplies as the racer), and both racers have a ride back down the mountain. While there is a privately owned shuttle service that carries hikers back down the mountain (Mt. Washington Auto Road Tours), it is first-come-first-served with no advance reservation allowed. Have another friend or family member drive up to the top to meet you at the finish.
• Should your porter accompany you on your climb, they must finish with you. We cannot stress this enough. If they are below you on the mountain — even if within sight of the finish line — your time will not be recorded until they arrive. There is one other option: upon reaching our staff at Hermit Lake mid-mountain, your porter can choose not to continue. They must announce this to our staff. Then they can hike back down (not up!)
• There are public restrooms at the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at the base of the mountain. Mid-mountain, there are “real” (fully operational, with water and everything) restrooms near the Hermit Lake Lodge (watch for signs), and a few hundred yards further up the slopes from that lodge is a hand-pumped well for additional drinking water. At the summit, there are public restrooms, snack bar and secure indoor wind shelter.
• Tuckerman’s Ravine Trail is a very popular trail in the summer and you will be sharing it with hundreds of recreational hikers. Once the crowd begins to understand they have a race in their midst they become our biggest fans. The trail is not considered technical by mountaineering standards but it is extremely rocky and becomes quite steep as you climb the headwall of the ravine.
• Thunderstorms: perhaps our biggest concern for athletes above the tree line. The race directors reserve the right to alter the run course to stay below the treeline if thunderstorms are likely. This could be announced race morning but also upon your arrival at T2 — or possibly, Hermit Lake mid-mountain.
• Should you be caught in a thunderstorm:
  • stay off the ridgeline at the top of the ravine. You are safer in the ravine or on the headwall, but conditions could get slippery fast
  • get low: crouch or even sit on your backpack to reduce your conductivity
  • if exposed to the storm don’t huddle with another or others. Position yourselves 50-100 feet apart and crouch, cover ears
  • get rid of any treking poles if they are made of metal
  • mid-sized trees are the safest; not the tallest or the only one around
  • more reading: How to Survive a Thunderstorm
• Please also do plenty of reading in advance about Mt. Washington to fully understand and appreciate the unique conditions that can occur on this mountain. Weather conditions near the top invariably are much different from at the bottom — or even at the midpoint. Furious storms can pop up seemingly out of nowhere. In some prior years of this event, windy conditions have led race officials to alter the run course for safety.

Racers and porters may have dogs accompany them at the starting property and at Wildcat. (Please pick up after them.)

Smoking is not tolerated anywhere at this event.