Lake Meridian Triathlon

Open Water Wednesdays at Lake Meridian Park

Kent, WA

6:30-7:30PM

June 3 - September 9, 2026

Meet at the Picnic tables on the west side of the Lake Meridian boat launch parking lot.

Special edition: Open Water Wednesdays at Lake Tapps - Allan York Park on August 26th - 6:30-7:30PM

(No swims 6/24 or 8/12)

Open Water Wednesdays (OWW) are one of the coolest traditions in the PNW triathlon community—coached open water swim workouts held at Lake Meridian Park in Kent, WA since 2006!

Each session features a 300-yard buoy loop where you'll swim with others at your pace. A coach in a kayak leads the workout from the start buoy, guiding you through an open water-style interval session—think pool training meets real-world swim skills.

On some nights, a second coach paddles near shore to work with newer swimmers. They’ll help you get comfortable in the water and confident with open water skills so you can join the main group on the course in no time.

Whether you're training for your next triathlon or just looking to level up your open water game, OWW is the perfect mix of fun, fitness, and skill-building!

Open Water Wednesdays are a great workout for any open water swimmer - you'll get valuable fitness training and can practice open water skills like sighting, turning at buoys, and swimming close to others. This workout has the full spectrum of swimmers - from newbies to some of the fastest swimmers in the area. You'll fit right in!

Flexible Sign-Up. Big Savings.

You can register for just one workout at a time—but you’ll save money if you sign up for 3 or more.

In fact, if you sign up for 9, 10, or 11 workouts, each one is half the price!

Plans change? No problem.

If you can’t make a workout you registered for, just come to a different one. We’ll transfer your registration when you arrive—no need to tell us ahead of time.

Not sure of your summer schedule?

Pick the number of workouts you think you’ll attend. You’ll still get the discount, and the flexibility to shift dates as needed.

Note: This training is USA Triathlon (USAT) sanctioned. If you’re not a USAT annual member, you’ll need a one-day pass—but that pass covers all your workouts, not each one.

See more about pricing on the "Pricing" page.

Wetsuits are mandatory If you don't own a swim-specific wetsuit yet, take a look at the blueseventy line that you can find at Northwest Tri & Bike. Swim-specific wetsuits are far superior over the general watersports wetsuits, that can actually make open water swimming harder! Northwest Tri & Bike will have blueseventy wetsuits available for you to try at the workouts. These are the best suits on the market and are produced right here in Seattle, WA. Learn more on the 'Wetsuits" page.

Join us for a fun summer of Wednesday evening swims!

If pre-registration is closed, do not worry! On-site registration will be available on day of race for $15.

Come join us for the annual Paul Ruston Memorial Run at Thomas Jefferson High School!

Lace up your sneakers and honor the memory of beloved community member Paul Ruston. All proceeds will be donated to the Ruston Family Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on making the sport of cross country understandable and memorable for young athletes & families. Bring together friends, family, and neighbors for a morning of fun and fitness. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just enjoy a leisurely walk, we would love you to join us in honoring Coach Ruston's legacy at the Paul Ruston Memorial Run.

View the course map and check out our website to learning more about the foundation and what we've been up to!

Race will be chip-timed by GC Racing and bibs will be available for pick up on race day during check-in (7:00AM-8:30AM).

Free swag for all participants 18 and under. All pre-registrants will receive a BOGO free Cold Stone Creamery Voucher! **Valid only at Kent and Covington locations and expires before Sep. 2025!

Awards will be at 9:45AM. Prize money to overall top-3 male and female racers!

Don't miss out on this special event! Please email rustonfamilyfoundation@gmail.com for questions, concerns, or details on special student and group priced tickets!!

Register Now for the 7th Annual Fly Away Run

Join us in 2026 for the 7th Annual Fly Away Run, a family-friendly community event featuring both a 5K run/walk and a 10K run. The race will begin in Kenmore and follow a marked course along the Burke-Gilman Trail toward Bothell.

Additional event details, including schedule, packet pickup information, and race-day amenities, will be shared as the event approaches.

The Fly Away Run is part of Kenmore’s Oktoberfest celebration, now in its 3rd year, bringing even more energy and excitement to this annual tradition.

2026 Day of Event Schedule -

The Fly Away Run launches from the Burke-Gilman Trail access point in Kenmore, located at 192 Brewing Co. Lake Trail Taproom & Copperworks Distilling. (7324 NE 175th Street, Kenmore).

Course: Timed, marked out-and-back route on the Burke-Gilman Trail, heading east toward Bothell

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

8:00 AM | Packet Pickup Begins

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM | Launch 10K & Kid Run

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | 5K Line Up & Run/Walk Begins

10:15 AM - 11:00 AM | Finisher Awards and Community Celebration

Event Details

Giveaway, Medals & More

All registered participants will receive a commemorative medal, and those who register by September 1 are guaranteed an event giveaway. After September 1, giveaways will be available while supplies last.

Giveaway: Guaranteed with registration by September 1; limited quantities thereafter

Medals: Awarded to all registered race participants

Pets Welcome: Leashed pets, pet strollers, or wagons are welcome on the course. Please ensure pets remain on a short leash and that owners clean up after their animals.

Parking: Parking is available on nearby streets and at the Kenmore Park & Ride, which offers crosswalk access at the traffic light for convenient entry to the event.

Bib Pick-Up Week of Race:

Wednesday - Thursday @ Bothell Kenmore Chamber Office (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

Friday @ launch location 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Day of Event 8:00 AM

Please join us for our EIGHTH annual Baby Steps Foundation 5K to support those affected by pregnancy and infant loss. It's so crazy to see this crazy little idea we had to have a small 5K turn into hundreds of people. We cannot thank you enough for your support.

REGISTRATION PURCHASED AFTER SEPTEMBER 20TH WILL NOT RECEIVE A SHIRT. We have to put in our shirt order two weeks before the race. We do order extras which will be available for purchase, first come first serve, AFTER the race. The price changes from $40 to $25 after September 20th so you are not charged for a shirt. Thank you for your understanding!!!

Baby Steps was created by moms affected or touched by loss. Our mission is to offer support to women and families while honoring their babies, as well as give back to the stillbirth and loss community. For those left behind, we hope to offer support, a safe space for grieving, and make a difference along the way.We have been doing a lot of things this past year and been blessed with many wonderful donations and support. But we can't wait to see what we can do with our 5K this year!

We will be at Roegner Park in Auburn again, because who doesn't want to walk along the river if you have to walk/run a few miles?! Parking will be available at Auburn Riverside High School but please pay attention to signage as parts of it are closed for other activities.

We thank you for supporting our mission and bringing a togetherness to a community that we are so passionate about. Your ticket purchase will include a t-shirt. Children's ticket purchases WILL include a shirt this year which is why the registration price is higher this year. If you do NOT wish to have a youth size t-shirt, you can choose NO SHIRT at checkout and $15 will be taken off the registration price for the standard $10 we usually do.

This trail will be fully paved and registration will be at the picnic shelter at Roegner Park. Pets are welcome they must be leashed and cleaned up after.

Schedule:

9:00 AM- Registration check-in and Shirt Pick-up

9:45 AM- Opening Announcements

10:00 AM- Race Begins

11:15 AM- Closing/Raffle Prizes

Donation Information:

If you would like to donate more than the ticket price of the race you can make checks out to Baby Steps Foundation or bring cash to drop in donation bin the day of the race. You can also visit www.babystepsfoundation.org for online donations or make a donation when you purchase your ticket.

The proceeds from the race will go directly to Baby Steps Foundation and supporting our mission.

We are currently funding the cremation program for miscarriages, stillbirths and infants at St. Joseph's hospital in Tacoma, WA and St. Elizabeth's hospital in Enumclaw, WA so no family has to financially take on that burden. We need to keep this fund going! The amount the hospital has needed has kept growing over the years. We have also funded headstones and donated mold kits to families at the hospital who have experienced a loss so they have something tangible to bring home with them. We have created Mama boxes for those early in their loss in 2021 and have received such amazing feedback on them. We have now sent out over 150 boxes. These are just some examples of service we have done in support of our mission.

We know these are difficult times for everyone, especially small businesses, but if your are interested in being a sponsor, please contact us!