Grays Lake Park, Des Moines, IA

June 28th, 2025 | 8:00AM

Back for our third year in the heart of downtown Des Moines, Gray’s Lake is one of the most storied triathlon locations in the country. For years, Gray’s Lake was the host of the IronKids National Championships, Hy-Vee Triathlon, and now is the venue for the Ironman Des Moines Triathlon. RipRoar Des Moines will look to build on this history by bringing a new generation of triathletes to one of triathlon’s most iconic venues.

The Course

The Swim:

Athletes start their day on the beach at Grays Lake Park and will start their swim one at a time. Athletes will not be allowed to wear a life vest during the swim, due to USAT regulations. This public beach will be open only to RipRoar athletes who will swim within the normal roped-in beach area. Legends and Seniors will complete two laps of the swim course with a brief run on shore, intermediate and juniors will each complete one lap. Most athletes will be able to touch in all divisions.  

The Bike:

This super-fast bike course involves two long straightaways capped at either end with some technical turns. Legends and Seniors will complete 3 laps, Intermediates 2 laps and Juniors 1 lap of the course before returning to the transition area. This course is perfect for spectators and will allow all loved ones to watch a large portion of the bike

The Run: 

The running portion of our event will take place on the interior paved trail of Gray’s Lake. Spectators will be able to see almost the entire run from near the finish line area as athletes make their way to the south side of the lake and back along a paved trail before finishing on the grass. Legends and Seniors will complete 2 laps, Intermediates 1 lap, and Juniors a half-mile lap.

This year's event will have early packet pick-up the day before the event. Join us the Friday afternoon before the race to pick up your packet, check out your transition spot, and find some new RipRoar swag for the season. Packets will include a swim cap, bike number, race bib, $10 in RipRoar Rewards, and a pair of RipRoar boomsticks.

After you pick up your packet, join our course talk where triathletes of all ages and ability levels can learn about how triathlons work - all about transition, gear, and the course that you’ll race the next day!

At 6:30 a.m. on race morning, transition will open for all athletes.

It is RipRoar’s policy that all athletes (including intermediate and junior division athletes) must set up their bikes, and transition areas between 6:30 am and 7:45 am on race morning. All bikes must be racked by either the seat of the bike or by using a kickstand. Please note that we do not allow bike stands in transition due to space. Parents are welcome in transition prior to the race, but will not be allowed in during the running of the events. Don’t worry- RipRoar staff and volunteers are trained and ready to help all athletes as they work their way through transition.

Athletes will be lined up based on their assigned bib number. We assign bib numbers based on age and sex so that all athletes competing in the same division are grouped together. The order of athletes within these divisions is solely at the race director’s discretion and will not be lined up based on swimming ability.

The RipRoar finish line is unlike anything else, especially during the junior division event. Our belief is a straightforward one: triathlon is a hard sport, and we want to positively reinforce a child’s desire to do hard things. Therefore, we build a massive finish line chute, line it with red carpet, and strongly encourage all athletes and spectators to help make it something special. If we all do our part, we can get these kids addicted to the feeling of crossing difficult finish lines.

Triathlon represents a big challenge for our athletes and we give out big hardware. Every finisher, regardless of place will receive a super sweet finisher medal. In addition, we highlight the top five boys and top five girls from every age (6, 7, 8, etc). The award ceremony is held approximately 20 minutes following the final finisher crossing the line. During this time we invite all athletes to remove all their items from transition. Those looking to leave the venue are welcomed to do so.  

Divisions & Distances

Race Weekend Timeline

Once a year RipRoar gets to welcome back all former RipRoar racers to its start line. LEGENDS athletes will start where they left off competing on the Senior distance race course just before the Senior Division begins.

The LEGENDS division is open to any RipRoar Alumni ages 16-19. RipRoar Alumni will compete for top-5 overall across the entire division (not per age) separated into male and female divisions.

LEGENDS division athletes will also be eligible to compete in the RipRoar Relay race.

The RipRoar Relay is back! Starting in 2018, this event is fun, fast, and a fan favorite. Taking it's origin from the "Mixed-Team Triathlon Relay" event that will debut at the Tokyo Olympics, our 2-person team relay is open to any athlete that races in the main RipRoar event on Saturday morning. 2-Person teams can be made up of 2 boys, 2 girls, co-ed or adult + kid. There are no age categories for this event, so legends can race with juniors and everything in between. 

Each team member will be responsible for completing a full triathlon at the Junior distance before tagging their teammate who will do the same thing. Once both athletes have completed their races in succession their team time will stop.

All proceeds made on the RipRoar Relay event help to benefit The Youth Tribe.

Questions about the Relay? Check out FAQ’s below!

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