Athletes ran, biked and paddled their way across Sacramento County on Saturday during the sixth annual Great American Triathlon.The no-swim triathlon attracted participants ranging from teenagers to racers in their 80s. Some divided the three legs among relay team members, while others completed the entire course on their own.The approximately 24.4-mile race began with a 5.8-mile run from the William B. Pond Recreation Area in Carmichael to the Guy West Bridge near Sacramento State. Competitors then completed a 12.5-mile bike ride to the Lower Sunrise Recreation Area before paddling 6.1 miles down the American River to the finish line at River Bend Park.For many participants, replacing the traditional swimming portion with a kayak or canoe paddle is what makes the Sacramento race so appealing.“I think it’s awesome,” participant Linda Kingsbury said. “I think it’s a great way to have a race where you don’t have to swim, and I think that is what is so special about this race. I have done a triathlon before, and you have to swim, and it’s terrible.”Kingsbury said her goal was simple: finish the race — and not finish last.“I’ve always wanted to do it, back when it was Eppie’s,” one first-time solo racer said. “I just never had the nerve to think that I could. So now that I’m old, I guess I figured I might as well.”The Great American Triathlon follows the historic course of Eppie’s Great Race, a Sacramento summer tradition that began in 1974. The race was renamed and continued as the Great American Triathlon after the final Eppie’s Great Race was held in 2018.First-time participant Oscar Nero learned about the race from a member of his gym just weeks before the event. When he realized it would take place on his 44th birthday, he decided to sign up.“It landed on my birthday, so I was like, ‘Why not?’” Nero said. “It’s the only way to turn 44.”For 70-year-old Sherri Reese, completing the race carried an even deeper meaning.Reese, who previously competed in Eppie’s Great Race, has been dealing with a recent health scare.“I turned 70 this year in June, and then I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer,” Reese said. “I took three weeks off so I could get some muscle strength back and see how I do today.”Reese is determined to beat cancer and to keep doing the things she loves.“This is a classic Sacramento race, and we have to keep it going,” she said.The race also raises money for local nonprofit organizations. Organizers said the 2026 beneficiaries include the American River Parkway Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Placer County and CASH Sacramento, or Community Against Sexual Harm.As competitors crossed the finish line one by one, participants said the event was more than their final time. It was an opportunity to complete personal goals, bring the community together and continue a uniquely Sacramento tradition.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. —

Athletes ran, biked and paddled their way across Sacramento County on Saturday during the sixth annual Great American Triathlon.

The no-swim triathlon attracted participants ranging from teenagers to racers in their 80s. Some divided the three legs among relay team members, while others completed the entire course on their own.

The approximately 24.4-mile race began with a 5.8-mile run from the William B. Pond Recreation Area in Carmichael to the Guy West Bridge near Sacramento State. Competitors then completed a 12.5-mile bike ride to the Lower Sunrise Recreation Area before paddling 6.1 miles down the American River to the finish line at River Bend Park.

For many participants, replacing the traditional swimming portion with a kayak or canoe paddle is what makes the Sacramento race so appealing.

“I think it’s awesome,” participant Linda Kingsbury said. “I think it’s a great way to have a race where you don’t have to swim, and I think that is what is so special about this race. I have done a triathlon before, and you have to swim, and it’s terrible.”

Kingsbury said her goal was simple: finish the race — and not finish last.

“I’ve always wanted to do it, back when it was Eppie’s,” one first-time solo racer said. “I just never had the nerve to think that I could. So now that I’m old, I guess I figured I might as well.”

The Great American Triathlon follows the historic course of Eppie’s Great Race, a Sacramento summer tradition that began in 1974. The race was renamed and continued as the Great American Triathlon after the final Eppie’s Great Race was held in 2018.

First-time participant Oscar Nero learned about the race from a member of his gym just weeks before the event. When he realized it would take place on his 44th birthday, he decided to sign up.

“It landed on my birthday, so I was like, ‘Why not?’” Nero said. “It’s the only way to turn 44.”

For 70-year-old Sherri Reese, completing the race carried an even deeper meaning.

Reese, who previously competed in Eppie’s Great Race, has been dealing with a recent health scare.

“I turned 70 this year in June, and then I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer,” Reese said. “I took three weeks off so I could get some muscle strength back and see how I do today.”

Reese is determined to beat cancer and to keep doing the things she loves.

“This is a classic Sacramento race, and we have to keep it going,” she said.

The race also raises money for local nonprofit organizations. Organizers said the 2026 beneficiaries include the American River Parkway Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Placer County and CASH Sacramento, or Community Against Sexual Harm.

As competitors crossed the finish line one by one, participants said the event was more than their final time. It was an opportunity to complete personal goals, bring the community together and continue a uniquely Sacramento tradition.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google