Raccoon River Park, West Des Moines, Iowa

JULY 12TH, 2025 | RACCOON RIVER PARK

Our third race in the series brings us to Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines, where RipRoar athletes have raced since 2015! This race site has a rich triathlon history dating back to 2008 when the HyVee Triathlon served as the final U.S. Olympic qualifying race for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Raccoon River’s central location in West Des Moines provides a refuge from the city with stunning lake views, a beach swim, and a flat bike and run course.

Event details

DIVISIONS & DISTANCES

RACE WEEKEND TIMELINE

*Race timeline subject to change and are fluid - if we get ahead, we stay ahead.

THE COURSE

THE SWIM
Athletes start their day on the beach at Raccoon River Park and will start their swim one at a time. 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.

Please note:  Athletes will not be allowed to wear a life vest during the swim, due to USAT regulations

THE BIKE
This fast, flat bike course, sponsored by Scheels Des Moines, takes place entirely within the park on closed roads with some technical turns. 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 run, sponsored by Certified Piedmontese, will take place on the interior paved and gravel trails within Raccoon River Park.

Please note that our course map is subject to change.

We 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, and $10 in RipRoar Rewards.

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!

The course will be marked on Friday afternoon for those that would like to visit the course individually. However, please keep in mind that we do not recommend touring the bike course as it is open to regular traffic.

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.

It is also a RipRoar policy that athletes need to wait to remove their belongings from transition until the entire race is over.

Athletes will be lined up based on their assigned bib number. We assign bib numbers based on age and gender 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.

2025 sponsors