14 triathlon, cycling, running, and other events in Cambridge, Maryland

PLAYTRI - OFFICIAL TRIATHLON STORE OF IRONMAN

We bring our expert in-house mechanics and triathletes to IRONMAN® Events and offer the highest quality rentals, repair and maintenance services for you and your bike. From race ready tunes up to complete overhaul packages, we'll keep you riding and racing smooth on the road! We are a full-service shop available onsite to take care of additional services leading up to and on race day.

PLAYTRI - OFFICIAL TRIATHLON STORE OF IRONMAN

We bring our expert in-house mechanics and triathletes to IRONMAN® Events and offer the highest quality rentals, repair and maintenance services for you and your bike. From race ready tunes up to complete overhaul packages, we'll keep you riding and racing smooth on the road! We are a full-service shop available onsite to take care of additional services leading up to and on race day.

Join us for the Run Fur Their Lives 5k Fun Run/Walk to benefit Baywater Animal Rescue!

Lace up your sneakers and dash alongside fellow animal lovers, all for a paw-some cause. Every step you take supports our local no-kill mission, to ensure a brighter future for companion animals of the Eastern Shore. Don't miss out on this tail-wagging event – register now and let's race towards a world where every pet finds their forever home!

Check-in and bib pickup begins at 7am on Saturday, May 2nd and we will take off at 8am.

Participants will receive a giveaway item and finisher medal. Can't join us in person but would still like to support the cause? Register for the virtual option and we will send you your bib and finisher items- just send us an email with your mailing address for your runner's bag! All ages and abilities welcome!

This is an UNTIMED FUN RUN/WALK. We will have a clock, but there will be no official results posted. Rain or shine!

If you are interested in being a volunteer, please call 410-228-3090.

ALL 2025 REGISTRANTS WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO CLAIM THEIR ENTRY FOR THE 2026 EVENT. DECISIONS MUST BE MADE BY JANUARY 1st, WHEN WE WILL OPEN UP REGISTRATION TO ALL OTHERS.

Let's go for a swim!!!!! Who hasn't driven over the Frederick C Malkus Jr bridge (Choptank River Bridge) on Route 50 and wondered what it would be like to swim from one side to the other? Well if you are one of THOSE folks, this is a race for you.

On Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, join us as we navigate the Choptank River, between the bridges from the Talbot County side to the Sailwinds Park beach access point on the Dorchester County side. This 2.0 mile trip across the Choptank River and will be supported by paddle craft, motor craft and the US Coast Guard.

A portion of the proceeds from this race will go to the Shore Rivers organization (www.shorerivers.org)

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

We invite our experienced open water swimmers to come and join us for this journey. Make no mistakes about it, this is not for the inexperienced swimmer. This straight course may sound simple but the Choptank River is a flowing body of water and we will be navigating around/through two bridges. We ask that you show proof of open water swimming experience (triathlon, open water swim events, etc) or that you have successfully completed a ONE MILE POOL SWIM in ONE HOUR (the attached form is to be signed by a certified lifeguard at a pool once the requirement completed. The completed form can be emailed to [email protected] ). Please keep in mind that if you do a pool swim, you should aim to be able to swim this 2.0 mile course continuously, as there will not be any places to stop and rest on the course.

If you feel that you would like to be a part of this event, then let's get ready to go!!!! This is a great tune up race for the Bay Swim, the Ocean Games and especially the Eagleman 70.3 Ironman Maryland race!!

WETSUITS

Water temperature is expected to be in the upper-sixties to mid-seventies, Fahrenheit. If the water temperatures are below 58 degrees, we will require wetsuits (it has not been in the last 5 years). If water temperatures exceed 84 degrees, wetsuits will not be allowed (hasn't been near there either).

SCHEDULE (All times subject to change, based on tides for that day)

6:00 AM – 7:00 AM Pre-race check-in

7:00 AM Swimmer pre-race safety meeting (mandatory)

7:15 AM – 7:45 AM Shuttles to starting line

8:00 AM Start of self seeded swim waves

Swimmers will enter in groups of 6, every 10 seconds

10:15 AM Post-event activities begin/AWARDS

SWIM START

This race will begin with on the beach and swimmers will be sent off in groups of 6, every 10 seconds. Athletes will be invited to self-seed themselves in an appropriate time frame. Seeding signs will be held up by volunteers, to give a visual of when to enter the water.

Porto-johns will be available (only 2 to lessen the impact on our partners) but please use the restroom prior to coming on the bus.

Water will be available at the start line.

THE COURSE

Refer to the course map at the bottom of this page. The racecourse is a point-to-point swim. The starting line is at the beach on the Ferry Point Marina in Talbot County and is marked by two round buoys. The race is an on beach start and swimmers will enter in groups of 6.

TIDES

Slack tide will be at 840am on race day, giving very little tidal flow at the center span.

SAFETY

The Maryland Freedom Swim makes swimmer safety the most important component of the event. We will have a number of safety kayakers and safety boats out on the course with us to ensure swimmer safety at all times. All boats are able to communicate via both hand held and ship to shore radios. All swimmers are required to follow specific procedures to participate in the event. These procedures are designed to protect swimmers from injury and will be enforced by the Safety Director.

RACE PREMIUMS

At registration all racers will receive several items including a swim cap , a Maryland Beach Towel, a gear bag that your pre-race equipment can be stored in and delivered to the finish line for you, and other giveaways from our sponsors.

ATHLETE GUIDE

After registration each participant will be sent an athlete guide. This guide will explain all of the event details including parking, registration, shuttles, swim start, swimmer rules, and everything else you’ll need for race day. This guide will be sent out in mid April, 2026.

VOLUNTEERS

The safety of our swimmers is largely dependent on the number of volunteers helping with the race, both on the land and in the water via kayak or boat. If you don't think you are up for the swim this year but would like to volunteer, check out the "VOLUNTEER" tab on the registration website and sign up. If you have family or friends who are competing and you want your share of race-day action, volunteering is a great way to get involved and feel good about it. Or if you're planning to swim in the event and you know that your family or friends would be a good volunteer - send them over the registration page to sign up as a volunteer.

EVENT: 2 MILE MARYLAND FREEDOM SWIM

This is a point-to-point swim. Participants will park at the Dorchester County Visitor Center at 2 Rosehill Pl, Cambridge, MD 21613, and will be shuttled over to the start area at the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park. From there, participants will walk with their starting wave to the start line. Swimmers will be able to pass off pre-race clothing, to be transported to the finish line for you.

Swimmers must prove Open Water Experience OR have certification that they have completed a POOL SWIM of at least ONE MILE in under ONE HOUR.

We are BACK for our 18th year as the Six Pillars Century, with a new date. We have been ROCKED by weather the past few years with the first weekend in May, so we are pushing back a week. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2025!!! Save the Date!!!!

We will be on the same great routes as last year, and can't wait to show you all that Dorchester County has to offer. We can't wait to celebrate with you at Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh when you are all done for the day! We'll have refreshments and more while you recover your legs!

Cycle the scenic back roads of picturesque Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, MD. Choice of three FLAT routes: 37 miles, the famous 56 – mile Eagleman course, or our beautiful 100 – mile century course that takes you through quaint townships along the Chesapeake Bay and back through serene woodlands. Begin your day at Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh complementary pastries and more along the shore of the scenic Choptank River, before heading out on 2 wheels.

Join us and help support our youth programs creating tomorrow's leaders, today!

PACKET PICKUP TIMES AND LOCATION

Friday night - 5pm to 7pm - Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh Park

Saturday morning - 6am to 9am - Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh Park, Somerset Avenue, Cambridge, MD

Suggested start times are:

Century (100 Mile) - 7am

56 Mile (Eagleman course) - 8am

37 Mile - 9am

We would like all riders to leave by 9am. There is an 8 hr cutoff, based on the 7am start time, for the course. All support will discontinue at 3pm

Please join us for our 18th annual Six Pillars Century Blackwater Tour.

We are excited to say that we are returning for our traditional Sunday (Mother's Day) event!!!

The Crab Run consists of a half marathon (13.1 miles) immediately followed by a 5k (3.1 miles) run, all from the grounds of Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh, located at 0 Somerset Avenue, Cambridge. Our half marathon follows the same course as the Eagleman event in June, a perfect opportunity for a preview of the course in cooler temperatures.

This race takes you past the Choptank river at the start before rolling out to the country roads of Dorchester County.

If you are looking for a challenge, why not sign up for the KING CRAB challenge? You must complete the half marathon in under 2 hours to make it in time for the start of the 5k. Do you have what it takes to make the time cut?

Packet Pickup

Right now the plan is to have Packet pickup on site ONLY, on Sunday morning. We will be in under the 1st Pavilion at Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh (0 Somerset Avenue, Cambridge, MD) and packet pickup will run from 6:30 am to 7:15 am. This packet pickup will be for the Half marathon and King Crab (both the half with a time under 2 hours and the 5k) participants.

Traditional 5k participants may check in at this time but your start time is not until 930.

Schedule

• 06:30 - 0715 Half Marathon/King Crab Packet Pickup/Registration

• 07:30 Half Marathon START

• 07:45 - 0915 5k Packet Pickup/Registration

• 09:30 5k START

• 10:30 AWARDS CEREMONY (Time subject to change)

2026 Announcements:

SADLY AFTER 22 YEARS, THIS WILL BE THE LAST EDITION OF THE CHURCH CHURCH CREEK TIME TRIAL #1. IF YOU'VE LOVED THIS RACE, YOU HAVE TWO MORE CHANCES - JUNE 27 AND AUGUST 22.

• Separate USAC categories for Men and Women 65+, 70+, 75+ age groups. 75+ will be still be separated into 5 year age groupings for medals only.

• Start line holders will not be permitted for any competitors.

• Start times per field will be assigned in reverse order of registration: the earlier you register, the better/later your start time!

• Fields will be part of the Mid Atlantic Time Trial Series (MATTS) or Paracycle Race Series

• A 2 person (1M/1W) Team Time Trial category is available

• For non-aero divisions wheels up to 50mm deep are allowed.

All USAC Rules Apply: Event will be held rain or shine. Entry fee includes a $5.00 USAC Insurance Surcharge. A $1.50 MABRA fee will be assessed in addition to the entry fee. Unlicensed riders will be assessed an additional fee in their shopping cart for a 1-Day license ($15), and will receive a printed copy at check-in, which may be mailed in to USA Cycling for a $10 rebate if you purchase an Annual license. Male one-day licensees may enter the Men's Cat 5 and/or their appropriate age graded category. Female one day licensees may enter the Women’s Cat 5 and/or their appropriate age graded category. For more information email [email protected]

Registration: Online registration will open on March 8, 2024 and close on Wednesday April 10, 11:59pm.

• Entry Fees increase by $10 on April 7 (except for Juniors).

• No mail-in or day-of registration, entry-swapping, or refunds.

• Note that due to the proximity of start times, it is virtually impossible to enter two fields.

Team Time Trial Registration & Scoring: The entry fee listed in the table for the Mixed Doubles TTT category is for each team member. Both members of the team should register individually, sign their waiver, and use the ‘Contact Event’ link on this page to let us know who your teammate is. Individual riders' times will be recorded, but teams will be scored using the time of the slower of the two riders. Riders entering the TTT will not be able to also do an ITT as there is not enough time between events.

Onsite Check In: Sign in and Number Pick Up will be located at the Mace's Lane Middle School, 1101 Mace's Lane, Cambridge, MD 21613.

• Check-in/number pickup will open at 7:00am.

• Competitors will need to show their USAC racing license at registration or sign the one day license waiver. Consider installing the USAC app on your phone or bring a screen shot from the web when picking up your number.

Timing and Race Numbers: Two sets of numbers will be issued this race, one for your torso and one for your seatpost containing the electronic timing chip. Both are necessary. It is critical that you place the numbers correctly:

• No Chip = DNS. Riders will not be permitted to start without seatpost and torso numbers.

• Torso numbers MUST be placed on your right side.

• There are timing sensors at the finish line, all riders must ride past finish to record the time.

• While warming up and cooling down do not ride in the vicinity of the finish line.

• Do NOT crumple your number.

• If you choose to use a time trial suit with a race number pocket your score may be invalidated by the officials for lack of visibility.

• If you do not want to use pins in your clothing, please use a product like TNR Tape https://tnr-tape.com to attach your number.

• In addition to the bib numbers placed on your torso, a seatpost sticker will ALSO be provided which contains the timing chip. It should be placed on your seatpost per the image below.

• Non visible and or improperly displayed numbers may not be scored, refunds will not be issued for scores not recorded due to non-visible numbers.

Men and Women Cat 4 and Cat 5 Non Aero: Prizes will be awarded for category 4 and 5 aero + non-aero fields, but will be one overall field per category for USA Cycling reporting and MATTS purposes. The following equipment & clothing is NOT permitted in the Non-Aero race categories: time trial or triathlon bikes; aero helmets; shoe covers; clip-on bars; skinsuits (jersey and shorts must be separate garments); wheels deeper than 50mm; and airfoil-shaped tubes/bars. The event organizer reserves the right to determine specific eligibility based on equipment.

Men and Women 75+: Prizes will be awarded for age sub categories 75-79, 80-84, 85+, but will be one 75+ field for USA Cycling reporting and MATTS purposes.

Para Open: Men and Women will compete against each other. It will only be one field. Para Handcycle and Physical Disability will have separate men and women fields.

Awards: Medals must be picked up at registration once results are final. Unclaimed medals will not be mailed.

Parking: Parking will be provided at the Mace's Lane Middle School, 1101 Mace's Lane, Cambridge, MD 21613. No participant parking will be allowed at the Start / Finish Areas. Parking along either Route 355 / Route 16 may result in receiving a parking citation from the Dorchester County Sheriff's Department. The Park & Ride area will be reserved for Event Staff, Emergency Personnel, and USAC Officials ONLY. Parking is not allowed in the Church Creek volunteer Fire Department parking area.

Course: The course is smooth, flat, fast, scenic, and well marked with a wide shoulder available on most of it. The course will be open to traffic. Riders must ride as far to the right as possible to allow traffic to pass. The course is located in Church Creek, MD, which is approximately five miles from the Middle School. Riders must ride to the Start Area from the middle school parking lot (use this transfer as part of your warm up – see the chart below for approximate transfer times). The 20km Out and Back Courses will use the first leg (Route 355) of the 40km Loop Style Course. The 20km TT turnaround is well marked and will be marshaled by police and volunteers. The 40 Km Loop Course is well marked and will be marshaled by police and volunteers. All riders: Please use EXTREME CAUTION and be prepared to stop if you are required to do so. The Start Area is approximately one quarter mile south of the Intersection of Routes 355 and 16, near the Church Creek Volunteer Fire Company, 1902

Church Creek Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622. The best address to use for your GPS to get to the start is: 4681 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622 Please see https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20599542 for a map of the course. Warm-up will not be allowed on either side of the road on any part of the course once racing begins at 8:30am.

Start Times: The first 20K rider will go off at 8:30am. Individual start times are dependent upon the number of registrants and will be assigned and posted after registration closes. Start times will be posted on www.abrtcycling.com no less than 24 hours prior to the event. Categories will start in the order listed above. ITT riders will go off in 30 second increments. DO NOT MISS YOUR START! Late starts are at the discretion of the Chief Referee and may be disallowed due to safety and / or logistical concerns (if you miss your start and are allowed begin your time trial your time will be calculated from your scheduled start time). Start list will be posted no later than 24 hours prior to the start of the event.

Schedule of Racing: The 20k ITT and 40k ITT events are per the following sequence. Individual start times are dependent upon the number of registrants and will be assigned and posted after registration closes. Individual start times will be posted on www.abrtcycling.com no less than 24 hours prior to the event.

• First 20K rider will go off at 8:30am. All other riders to follow based upon the number of registrants per category.

• There will be approximately a 15 minute break between the 20k ITT and the 40k ITT.

• The start of the 40k ITT will not be earlier than 9:00am. It may, however, start later due to the number of registrants

Approximate Transfer Times: Please allow ample time to ride from the middle school to the start line. The following table should help you determine the minimum amount of time your transfer will take. Do not overestimate your average speed during your transfer as traffic and wind conditions may adversely affect your transfer time. Obey all traffic laws while riding to the start line. The event staff will supply a synchronized clock at the exit of the middle school parking lot to assist riders.

Average Speed 10 mph 12 mph 14 mph 16 mph 18 mph 20 mph

Transfer Time (5.50 miles) 33:00 27:30 23:45 20:45 18:30 16:30

Additional Cushion 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00

Minimum Transfer Time 38:30 32:30 28:45 25:45 23:30 21:30

Common Courtesy: ABRT would like to remind everyone that we all have a responsibility to leave the time trial course cleaner than we find it on race day. All refuse should be discarded into appropriate containers. Any riders found illegally discarding objects on the middle school grounds, the roads leading to and from the time trial course, and the roads of the time trial course itself will be dealt with accordingly (see USCF Rule 3B9 which states in part - 'Riders may not discard materials that are not biodegradable; they may pass or throw such material to support personnel in places far from any bystanders [relegation or disqualification for littering or unauthorized feeding]'). Police, turnaround officials, and corner workers are not 'support personnel' and riders should not throw anything to them as they pass. Please be respectful of the environment and its inhabitants.

Language: It was brought to the promoter’s attention that a few riders are using course language will warming up in the village of Church Creek. This is a small quiet community that welcomes racers twice a year to use their local roads. Please be courteous when warming up early in the morning and remember that it is quiet and voices carry.

Follow Vehicles: We are unable to accommodate any follow vehicles on this course.

Come take part in a Cambridge tradition, the 2026 Firecracker Kids Triathlon will be held on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at the Robbins Family YMCA (201 Talbot Avenue, Cambridge, MD 21613). This annual event starts at 8am and includes athletes in the 6-7 year old, 8-9 year old, 10-11 year old, 12-13 year old and 14-15 age groups. With a 25 yard (6-7 yoa), 50 yard (8-9 yoa), 100 yard (10-11 yoa), 150 yard (12-13 yoa) and 200 yard (14-15 yoa) pool swim where flotation devices are allowed.

All athletes will complete a 2-mile bike ride that also allows for training wheels for your athlete in training! Cap it off with either a .6 mile (6 - 9 age groups) or 1 mile (10 -15 age groups) run. This event is sure to be a MUST DO for your budding triathlete.

With the start of the race at 8am and an expected conclusion time of 11 am, this is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend. And as always, the Firecracker Kids Triathlon is USA Triathlon sanctioned event!