Marble Falls Triathlon
Marble Falls, United States · July · Independent (Soler's Sports)
Course: 1 km (0.6 mi) swim, 25.7 km (16.0 mi) bike, 7.1 km (4.4 mi) run. 1 km (0.62 mi), 16 mi (25.7 km), 4.4 mi (7.1 km) in 2026; bike was 23 mi (37 km) in 2014 and 2022. Intermediate, shorter than Olympic.
Why people love it
- Scenic Hill Country bike with ranch and farm roads
- Post-race pizza lunch from a local Italian restaurant
- Time-trial swim start ordered by estimated swim time
- Packet pickup in Austin, San Antonio or Marble Falls
- Sprint run is a short 2.2 mi (3.5 km)
Watch out for
- Swim was cancelled in 2025 after floods; check lake status
- Roads are not closed; hills on the bike
- Water 27 to 29 °C (80 to 84 °F): no wetsuit awards
- Late July heat: highs 32 to 38 °C (89 to 100 °F)
- Intermediate is not a full Olympic: 1 km (0.62 mi) swim, 4.4 mi (7.1 km) run
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 30% of the overall score.
Toughness: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.3
The only athlete review, from about 2013, rated it 3 out of 5 and called it not bad. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.4
That racer hit awards and medal hiccups; in 2024 and 2025 organisers made firm swim-safety calls; roads are not closed. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.9
Intermediate: 1 km (0.62 mi) swim, 16 to 23 mi (26 to 37 km) bike with Texas 71 hills, 4.4 mi (7.1 km) run. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.5
Hills on the way out and back. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalRarely1.4
Organiser: water is usually 80 to 84 °F (27 to 29 °C (84 °F)), so wetsuits are not eligible for awards under USA Triathlon rules. · Medium confidence
- Water temperatureUncomfortable1.8
80 to 84 °F (27 to 29 °C (84 °F)) is above the 27 °C (81 °F) comfort limit. · Medium confidence
- Calm waterSome chop2.8
Dammed river lake: 2013 racer felt current both ways; 2024 flood made it fast and murky. · Low confidence
- Swim easeModerate3.2
1 km (0.62 mi) with current. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.0
Warm, current-affected water; swim cancelled in 2025 after flooding. · Low confidence
- Swim supportStandard3.4
Time-trial start by estimated swim time; organisers cancel when unsafe; support details are not published. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.2
Town streets then farm and ranch roads; athletes did not describe the surface. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open1.8
2024 preview: roads are not closed; drivers asked to watch for athletes. · Medium confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.1
Hill Country vistas; scenery 4 out of 5 from a reviewer; farm stand on route. · Medium confidence
- WindSome wind3.0
No wind reports; scored near the middle. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedAverage2.7
Hills and open roads. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessHilly2.3
Hills on Texas 71 both ways; gain unpublished. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.3
Town streets then ranch roads; easy to follow per a reviewer. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportDecent2.8
Small local race, lakeside neighbourhood run. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.3
Run aid is not described; a pizza lunch follows the race. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.8
Through a quiet lakeside neighbourhood by Johnson Park. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsModerate3.1
Longer in July heat. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessRolling3.3
Not completely flat, per the 2013 racer. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureHarsh2.1
Late July: lows 21 to 24 °C (70 to 76 °F), highs 32 to 38 °C (89 to 100 °F) in 2021 to 2025; 7:00 am start. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.7
Flooding in July 2024 and 2025 forced a reversed swim and then a cancelled swim. · Medium confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.0
Lakeside Park on Lake Marble Falls; scenery 4 out of 5. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
Start, transitions and finish at Lakeside Park; bike spreads out. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.5
About 225 m (738 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.5
A Holiday Inn Express and other Highland Lakes lodging; no athlete comments on availability. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.2
Lake-resort town; no athlete reports on lodging cost. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.4
The run goes through a neighbourhood beside the park; parking is not described. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.0
Austin (AUS) about 85 km (53 mi); San Antonio about 120 km (75 mi). · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
One park venue; packet pickup in San Antonio, Austin or Marble Falls, or race day for $30; time-trial start. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood3.7
Hill Country lake town; athletes wrote little about food. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Marble Falls, Texas, United States
- Typical month
- July
- Latest or next date
- 26 July 2026
- Organiser
- Independent (Soler's Sports)
- Field size
- About 350 athletes
- Distances (non-standard)
- 1 km (0.6 mi) swim, 25.7 km (16.0 mi) bike, 7.1 km (4.4 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Lake Marble Falls (Lakeside Park, Buena Vista Drive) (reservoir)
- Water temperature
- 27–29 °C (81–84 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Not legal for awards (80 to 84 F / 27 to 29 C per organiser)
- Swim start
- time-trial start in order of estimated swim time
- Swim laps
- 1
- Bike laps
- 1
- Key climbs
- U.S. 281 hill met by sprint riders (2014 preview); Texas 71 hills on the intermediate (2014)
- Run laps
- 1
- Run shade
- shaded patches per a reviewer
- Air temperature
- 22–37 °C (72–99 °F)
- Humidity
- moderate
- Altitude
- 225 m (740 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Austin-Bergstrom (AUS), 85 km (53 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Marble Falls, Horseshoe Bay
- Booking
- Not researched; Holiday Inn Express in Marble Falls hosts Saturday packet pickup.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (Jenny Burden, 'Not my favorite, but not bad')Raced 2013 · aggregator · Mixed
Intermediate-distance racer (posted 2016, race likely 2013) found the swim fine with a current that helps one way and fights the other, the bike hilly but not extreme and easy to follow, and the run shaded but unmemorable. Awards were handed out early and she missed hers; no finisher medal and a messy party. Scores: difficulty 4, scenery 4, production 3, swag 3.
“Not my favorite, but not bad.”
- DailyTrib (2025 swim cancelled)Raced 2025 · article · Mixed
After the July 2025 floods the lake was full of debris, fast current and high bacteria, so organisers turned the 23rd edition into a run-bike-run duathlon days before the race. The city had closed the lake. Shows organisers put safety first, but also that the swim is flood-sensitive.
- DailyTrib (2024 race preview)Raced 2024 · article · Mixed
Preview of the 22nd edition with about 350 signed up. Storms made the lake cloudy and fast, so the swim was turned to go with the current and could still be cancelled. The bike heads out FM 1980 past a berry farm; roads are not closed. The run goes through Pecan Valley neighbourhood.
“we will not do it under unsafe circumstances”
- DailyTrib (2014 course preview)Raced 2014 · article · Mixed
Describes the intermediate bike going south on U.S. 281 to Texas 71 and out, with hills each way, while the sprint turns at Texas 71 and meets only one hill. Calls the sprint the choice for newcomers. All transitions at Lakeside Park; run through Johnson Park and Pecan Valley.
“the one with the hills”
- DailyTrib (2022 race-day story)Raced 2022 · article · Positive
Short race-day note on 31 July 2022: early start at Lakeside Park, sprint of 500 m (1,640 ft) / 12 mi / 2 mi and a full course of 1 km (0.6 mi) / 23 mi / 4.4 mi, with finishers from age 11 to over 80. Confirms the long-running mixed-age field; no conditions described.
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Sources
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