2025 Sea to Summit

We must place strict qualification restrictions to be sure all athletes finish safely during daylight.

For age group athletes, required is the completion of either:

   -  a 140.6 (“Ironman”) triathlon in 13:49 or less 

  -  or a 70.3 distance triathlon in 5:59 or less

Additionally, all age-group athletes must have ranked in the top 60% of their age group in their qualifying race. Your qualifying race must have been held after Jan. 1, 2019. Athletes who qualified for the Ironman World Championships (140.6 or 70.3) during the same period are accepted no matter their finish rank at those races.

For long triathlons of slightly different distances, calculate your finishing time against these standards. 

The race directors may allow entries for athletes who have completed other recent races of similar difficulty if they are convinced the athlete likely has excellent swim proficiency as well as the ability to reach the checkpoints before the cut-off times (see below).

Athletes must be 18 years of age or older.

Each competitor must designate a support person (porter) who is in good health and will be present throughout the race including; packet pickup, at the race start, drive the course (although not behind or alongside the athlete) to the base of Mt. Washington, take away his/her racer’s bike at T2, meet the athlete at the top of the mountain (accessible by toll road) and chauffeur the athlete away from the post-race party. This is an absolutely mandatory requirement.

Each competitor and support person must attend the virtual pre-race meeting early in race week. Additional questions can be addressed at packet pick-up at the Spring Hill Recreation Center, South Berwick, Maine on Friday, July 25 from 4 to 6 pm. There is no day-of-race packet pick-up. The porter will, like the racer, receive a race shirt, bike bottle and entry to the post-race party and dinner.

This is a USAT Sanctioned race! That means that we meet or exceed strict guidelines set by USA Triathlon. This benefits the athlete by providing additional insurance coverage in case of injury.

You are required to have either an annual or 1-day (Bronze) USA Triathlon membership in order to race in any USAT-sanctioned event. Non-USAT members will be required to purchase a one-day event insurance license from USA Triathlon. Costs: $23/individual, $6 per relay team member. For more information about these USAT changes please click here.

Results will count toward national and regional rankings. All USAT rules and regulations will apply. Racers are subject to time penalties or disqualification for infractions of USAT rules included a positive drug test.

You will be given an opportunity to purchase a USAT membership during the registration process, or using the grey 'Add' button at the bottom of your registration email.

This is an adventure triathlon and — for most competitors — a personal journey. While the race organization does provide lifeguards support meeting USAT standards, as well as professional mountaineering guides stationed at various points on Mt. Washington, in addition to medical staff, you and your porter/support crew are largely responsible for your well-being during the race. You must follow all rules of the road and have done the pre-race planning so as to not get lost!

Please note: water temperature for the swim segment is expected to be slightly below or slightly above USA Triathlon's wetsuit-allowable limit of 78 degrees. If the temperature is above 78, athletes who wear wetsuits will not be eligible for age group awards.

Two-person or three-person teams allowed, however there will be only one award category for relay teams. All team members receive T-shirt, swag bag, finisher’s medal and a ticket to the after-party.

The designated swimmer for the relay team needs to have completed either…

- an Ironman-distance swim in 1:29 or less

- a 70.3-distance swim in :44 or less

- an Olympic (1.5k, 0.9 miles) distance swim in :34 or less 

Completed after Jan 1, 2019

The designated cyclist needs to have completed either…

- the bike leg of a 140.6 (“Ironman”) triathlon in 7:29 or less

- the bike leg of a 70.3 distance triathlon in 3:29 or less

- a results-published century ride in less than 6:19

Completed after Jan 1, 2019

The designated runner needs to have completed either…

- a marathon in 4:45 or less

- a half-marathon in 2:15 or less

Completed after Jan 1, 2019

Contact the race director regarding accomplishments at other, less traditional endurance events.

During the race, one non-active team member will serve as the designated porter. All team members must be present at packet pickup and the event’s start and finish.

125 athletes. Please note: the event has sold out quickly in past years.

With a 5:30 am start, all athletes must finish the swim by 6:30 to be allowed to continue as an official racer. Other cut-offs: conclusion of bike at Wild Cat Ski Lodge: 1 pm; arrival at Hermit Lake mid-mountain: 2:30pm; arrival at summit: 4:30pm. Under no circumstances will the athlete be allowed to proceed as an official racer if they miss a cutoff time. Should they proceed, they will be considered to have left the event, with no further assumption of responsibility by the event organizers. All vehicles are ordered off the mountain by toll road staff at 6 pm, and it’s a long walk down.

The after-party is held at the Wildcat Ski Area Lodge located at T2. The racer and his/her porter dine without additional charge, Friends and family members may purchase dinner tickets for $35 each. Kids eat for free.

No transfers or substitutions will be allowed. There will be no refunds unless you purchase Refund Protect during the registration process. Deferments are allowed for a fee up to 60 days prior to the race.

A wait list will be started once registrations reach 125 athletes. As slots become available, athletes will be contacted in the order that they signed up on the wait list. Each athlete on the wait list must have met the qualification standards.

A distinctive finisher award is given to all the athletes who make it to the summit under the 10.5-hour allotted time. Also, the top three male athletes and the top three female athletes will receive awards. First place male and female age group winners will also be awarded. Age groups: 29 and under; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-plus — both male, female and non-binary.

There is no rain date for this event. Race management reserves the right to modify or shorten the race course in case of inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances. This has happened before — most recently the 2017 and 2021 events — and athletes should be aware of and accept that possibility.

Visit the Sea to Summit race website for more information about this race. For more information about our other six races, please visit NEEEVENTS.com