Smith Mountain Lake Ultra Triathlon (Endure Virginia) - single 140.6
Huddleston, United States · September · Other (Endure Virginia, independent; USAT sanctioned)
Why people love it
- Rare ultra-triathlon weekend (double, aquabike, duathlon variants) with a single 140.6 option.
- Blue Ridge lake state park setting.
- On-site transition amenities, pre-race dinner and awards banquet.
Watch out for
- No athlete race reports found; course elevation and laps unpublished.
- Very small field: a lonely run and minimal crowd support.
- Single 140.6 is a side event to the 453 km (281.2 mi) double ultra; date listings are inconsistent.
- Fall hurricane-remnant weather risk.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.1
No race reports found for the inaugural 2025 edition at a lake state park. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.0
No reports. The RunSignup listing shows a transition setup with timing mat, charging, nutrition and a mechanic. First-year event. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.7
A 17 h window (7:00 AM to 11:59 PM) and a small field, but no published course profile and thin support. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.6
Likely rolling Virginia piedmont terrain, though the course elevation is not published. · Low confidence
- Course easeTough2.8
Likely rolling to hilly Blue Ridge foothills and humid late-summer heat. No course data to confirm. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip3.3
Mid-September reservoir temperatures are typically 22-25 °C (72-77 °F), near the 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) limit. Rule not found. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.8
Estimated 22-25 °C (72-77 °F) in mid-September. Not sourced. · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm4.4
Reservoir with no current. No chop reports. · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.0
Reservoir swim with no current. Lap count and start format are unpublished. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.4
Reservoir at Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Lap count and start format are not published. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.0
No data. Rural Virginia roads. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed2.5
Small ultra field on rural roads, so closures are unlikely. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.0
Blue Ridge foothills and lake-country roads. A tourism write-up mentions plenty of scenic rural roads. · Low confidence
- WindMostly calm3.8
Wooded rolling terrain, and lake breezes are possible. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedAverage2.6
Rural rolling roads are likely. No elevation published. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessRolling2.7
Likely rolling to hilly Blue Ridge foothills. Elevation is unpublished. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.0
Rural roads. No data on technical sections. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportSparse1.5
A small ultra field means few spectators. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.0
Nutrition area and mechanic at transition. No aid-station data. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.9
Likely a wooded state park route. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsModerate2.6
Humid mid-September. Shade is not documented, though a wooded park suggests some. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessRolling3.0
Likely rolling state-park terrain. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant3.8
Typical race-day air is 14-27 °C (57-81 °F). Humid-subtropical, so it can feel hotter. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Mid-September, so hurricane-remnant rain is possible. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.0
Smith Mountain Lake State Park in the Blue Ridge foothills. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints2.5
Small field and rural roads. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.3
Smith Mountain Lake sits at roughly 240 m (790 ft), with hills up to about 400 m (1,300 ft). Altitude is not published. · Low confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.2
Lake-house rentals, state park cabins and camping, with a small field. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
Rural Virginia. No pricing data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.0
Race is centred on the state park. Lodging typically needs a short drive. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.5
Roanoke-Blacksburg airport is about 50 km (31 mi) away and is a small regional airport. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
Single venue at the state park with on-site transition amenities. The double-ultra weekend adds complexity. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine2.5
Rural lake community (Huddleston, Moneta, Bedford) with limited options. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Huddleston, Virginia, United States
- Typical month
- September
- Latest or next date
- 12 September 2026
- Organiser
- Other (Endure Virginia, independent; USAT sanctioned)
- Entry fee
- About $399
- First held
- 2025
- Distances
- 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike, 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
- Cutoffs
- Finish Race window 7:00 AM to 11:59 PM (about 17 h) for single 140.6 per RunSignup
- Swim venue
- Smith Mountain Lake (Smith Mountain Lake State Park) (reservoir)
- Run shade
- Wooded state park (inference)
- Air temperature
- 14–27 °C (57–81 °F)
- Humidity
- Humid-subtropical; variable in September
- Nearest airport
- Roanoke-Blacksburg (ROA), 50 km (31 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Bedford
- Booking
- Lake-house rentals and state park cabins/camping; athlete tents can be rented on site. Distance approximate.
What racers and reviewers say
- RunSignup event pageaggregator · Positive
Official listing: single 140.6 starts 7 AM Saturday with a roughly 17 hour window. Describes a transition area with timing mat, charging station, nutrition area and bike mechanic, plus a pre-race dinner briefing and awards banquet. Promotional page, not an athlete review.
- Destination Bedford VAarticle · Positive
Tourism write-up of the shorter triathlon at the same state park: bike and run are rolling but not too tough, and the area has plenty of rural roads for riding. Indirect evidence for the ultra's terrain.
- Franklin News Postarticle · Positive
Local profile of an athlete with multiple sclerosis training for the 452.6 km (281.2 mi) double ultra with her husband as guide. Shows a small, community-flavoured ultra event rather than a mass-participation race.
- Race Ravesaggregator · Mixed
Review aggregator page exists for the race; content could not be fetched (domain safety check rate-limited), so no review content was captured.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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