THE PLUTONIUM MAN TRIATHLON TAKES PLACE ON AUGUST 29, 2026
TWO DISTANCES TO CHOOSE FROM: you have the choice of Olympic distance, sprint distance, or relay teams for the Olympic distance event.
RACE FORMAT: 1.3 km swim; 40 km bike; 10 km run for the Olympic distance triathlon and 1.3 km swim, 20 km bike, and 5 km run for the sprint distance triathlon.
Course Description: Swimmers enter the Columbia River at a beach about 400 yards upstream of the North Richland starch plant and swim downstream with the current (fast times, baby) 1.3 km to the exit just upstream of Sprout Road. The single transition area will be at the SE corner of the WSU Tri-Cities campus grounds. Cyclists will head west on Sprout Road, turn right on George Washington Way and follow the course as described on the course maps. Olympic distance triathletes will do 2 loops of the bike course while the sprint distance triathletes do one loop.
The run will also consist of two loops that take runners upstream (north) along the foot path, with a hard left turn by the Triton Submarine monument, back along Richardson Road, taking a left on Crimson Way, and back through the WSU campus. Olympic distance triathletes do two loops of this course and the sprint distance triathletes do one loop of the run course.
Fees:
• Race - $55 by June 30, 2026 at 11:59 pm and $70 after that (3RRR members get a $3 discount). We have a longer than normal lead time for the pre-registration deadline since our clothing option this year is Carrera Tri Shorts from DeSoto that they will be making for us to get to the Plutonium Man participants that want to take advantage of a great deal.
• Additional cost for a USAT one day license if not a USAT member
(As a sanctioned USA Triathlon (USAT) event, all participants are required to have a USAT license. If you are not a card carrying member a One Day License must be purchased. As you register you will be prompted to pay the one-day license fee. If you are a current USAT member you won't need to purchase a One Day License. Simply enter your USAT Member Number where prompted.)
3RRR members get the discount mentioned above if they register by the pre-registration deadline of August 18, 2025.
JOIN THE 3RRR CLUB: To get the 3RRR discount noted above, join the 3RRR club and get discounts on this race and other races put on by 3RRR. Only $20 per year covers everyone in the family at one address. Here is the RunSignUp link. https://runsignup.com/Club/WA/Richland/3RiversRoadRunners to sign up for the club.
Athlete limit for this event is 400 individuals and 25 teams. Please note: Mail-in registration is not available...you may register on-line ONLY - NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION.
Clothing Option: A high-quality pair of DeSoto Carrera Tri Shorts for $48! This is a great deal for these shorts thanks to Emilo DeSoto. Pay attention as you order these shorts and notice that they come in women's XS to XL and men's XS to XL. Please refer to the size chart at:
https://www.desotosport.com/pages/size-charts
These shorts will be non-returnable and non-refundable. So, again, pay attention as you order because you are going to get what you ordered. If you are a 220 pound man and you order women's XS tri short, well, good luck.
Awards: Top 3 overall men and women for the Olympic and sprint distances, along with top 3 in each 5-year age group for both of these triathlons. The top two teams in each of the 3 relay divisions also receive awards.
Check the Negative Split website on your phone at www.nsplit.com/results to see if you placed in your age group or were one of the top 3 overall men or women and you can collect your award after the race at the Rotary stage at the finish line. Please give us a little time after the race to have your award ready for you, so you have plenty of time to stow your gear after the race before picking up your award. Awards are race glasses that will NOT be mailed. If you miss the pick up after the race you will need to contact Eric at sageg@charter.net to arrange a pickup time for your award.
On-line Registration Deadline: To be pre-registered for The Plutonium Man Triathlon, you must enter by June 30, 2026. A late fee of $15 will apply after this date. On-line registration will be available until August 24, 2026, or end earlier if participant limit is reached. NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION.
ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS: We sympathize with life's uncertainties but there are no refunds. Entries are not transferrable to another race or to the team competition. Please, please, please plan accordingly.
Chip Timing: Timing chips will be used to record split and finish times. Timing chips will be distributed race morning at check-in. Be sure to turn your timing chip in at the finish line to avoid a lost chip charge. Race results will be available by Negative Split Event Timing at www.nsplit.com/results.
Day Before Race Schedule: Packet pickup available between 4:30 and 6:30 pm at Atomic Ale Brewpub, 1015 Lee Blvd, Richland, WA 99352.
Race Day Schedule: On race day, arrive early and be prepared for the following:
• 7:00 am – Packet/timing chip pickup starts
• 8:30 am – Mandatory pre-race meeting
• 9:00 am – Race start
• 12:30 pm – Course closes
SWAG: All individual triathletes will receive a Plutonium Man runner's hat prior to the race and thanks to Dr. Eric Turner with In Motion Chiropractic, all finishers will receive a finisher medal. Thanks, Doc.
Special Considerations: Please note the following:
• NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION
Cut-Off Times: For course safety reasons, we must pull you from the race if you have not completed the bike leg after 2 hours and 30 minutes on the race clock. If you feel you cannot finish the Olympic bike leg in this 2.5 hours or the overall Olympic distance race in the 3.5 hour limit, please enter the sprint distance event.
Questions: Please contact Eric Greager at sageg@charter.net with any race questions.
Volunteers: We need lots of volunteers for all our multi-sport events. If you can help at this event, please contact Eric Greager at sageg@charter.net .
And one more thing: Are you racing 70.3 Washington and using Plutonium Man as your warm-up race, to scope out the river and the top of the run course? Why not make it a triathlon weekend? Join Coach Juliet Hochman, 70.3 World Champion and - more importantly - 70.3 Washington Champion in 2024, for a 70.3 Washington Race Preview Clinic on Sunday, August 30. More information can be found on the LifeSport Coaching website or the camp’s landing page. Questions? Email Juliet at juliet@lifesportcoaching.com!