The Lake Nighthorse Triathlon is adding the Olympic distance to its 2023 event.

For its first two years, the triathlon only offered the sprint distance – a 750-meter open-water swim, 20-kilometer bike and a 5K run.

The is year, however, people will have the option to swim, bike and run twice as far in the Olympic distance.

“The more serious athletes did request it,” said director Dave Rakita. “While the sprint (distance) is raced at the professional level, it’s still viewed as a beginner race. People want to have that next level.”

The route for the sprint triathlon will be the same as last year. In the Olympic distance, the competitors will do two laps of the swim and two laps of the run while heading further out on their bikes on Colorado Highway 141, all the way to Breen, before turning around.

The 20K bike route features 800 feet of climbing, which Rakita said is more climbing than most other sprints. “It’s a good course,” he said.

In other big news, the Lake Nighthorse Triathlon will also be sanctioned by USA Triathlon for the first time this year, meaning the top finishers at the event will qualify for the 2024 national championships.

The event will be capped at 150 participants this year, due in part to parking available at the lake. In the sprint, people can also participate in coed, male and female teams. The athletes taking on the Olympic distance, however, will have to do all three legs.

The event also draws people to Durango for the event. Last year, more people from out of town competed than locals. “People want to come to Durango,” Rakita said, estimating that 55% of the competitors were from out of town last year. He also said people might be willing to travel more to race in the Olympic distance.

The event, like in years past, will continue to be held on the first Saturday after Labor Day, on Sept. 9.

For registration and more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/ybws64f2.

To be guaranteed a race shirt, competitors must register by Aug. 20.

“It’s a race people can point toward as a culmination of the season with something a bit longer than a sprint,” Rakita said. “The more experienced athletes should appreciate it.”