Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS)
New Paltz, United States · August · Independent (Davis family, New York Triathlete Association)
Course: 3.4 km (2.1 mi) swim, 48.3 km (30.0 mi) bike, 30.1 km (18.7 mi) run. NOT a standard Olympic. Eight stages: bike 30 mi (48.3 km); runs 4.4, 5.5, 8 and 0.7 mi (about 7, 8.9, 12.9 and 1.1 km; 18.7 mi / 30.1 km total); swims 1.1, 0.5 and 0.5 mi (1.8, 0.8 and 0.8 km; 2.1 mi / 3.4 km total). About 50.5 mi (81 km) overall.
Why people love it
- Not a standard Olympic: an eight-stage bike, run and swim-run race of about 81 km (50 mi)
- Three lake swims, 1.8, 0.8 and 0.8 km (1.1, 0.5, 0.5 mi), linked by trail runs past cliffs and waterfalls
- Eight aid stations, lifeguards, medical staff and about 250 volunteers
- Finish at Sky Top Tower; run shoes are carried through the swims
Watch out for
- Entry needs a qualifying result and sells out in minutes when it opens at midnight on 31 October
- Cardiac Hill (20% grade) and Godzilla (11%) climbs; cramps and blisters are common
- Strict cutoffs on the bike and on the run and swim section
- Lake temperature is not published and reports say the water can be cold
- Winners take about 4.5 hours; most reports are press features, not racer logs
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: Extreme
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.4
Racers' own accounts and a reader poll rank it among the best-loved non-IRONMAN races; the sell-out entry also shows demand. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.3
Founder, press and a participant describe about 250 volunteers, eight aid stations and lifeguards; cutoffs are strict. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyExperts only1.1
Entry needs a qualifying result and sells out in minutes; about 81 km (50 mi) of mountain trail and lake swims. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow1.6
Not a standard Olympic; winners take about 4.5 hours over 81 km (50 mi), so times do not compare with other Olympics. · Medium confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip3.2
Shoes are carried through the swims and water can be cold; the wetsuit rule is not found. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureAcceptable2.8
Reports say the lake water can be cold; temperature is not published. · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm4.3
Sheltered ridge lakes; no chop reported. · Low confidence
- Swim easeHard2.2
Three lake crossings of 1.8, 0.8 and 0.8 km (1.1, 0.5 and 0.5 mi) with fatigue, carried shoes and a rock scramble exit. · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceGreat4.4
Clear ridge lakes under 200 ft (60 m) cliffs; praised as unique. · Medium confidence
- Swim supportGood3.8
Lifeguards on course, medical staff; remote lakes and self-paced swims. · Medium confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.4
Public roads through Rosendale and up Route 44/55; surface not described. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.3
Public roads from the fairgrounds; closure status not found, no traffic problems reported. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.0
Rosendale to the Shawangunk ridge. · Medium confidence
- WindSome wind3.4
Wind is reported on the runs in some years; the bike is not described. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedAverage2.7
Climbing-heavy opening stage on public roads; times cannot be separated from the rest of the race. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessRolling3.4
About 366 m (1,200 ft) over 48 km (30 mi), roughly 305 m (1,000 ft) per 40 km (24.9 mi), with a steep final climb. · Medium confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.2
Not described. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.6
Spectators with signs and cowbells; remote trails limit it. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.3
Eight aid stations plus lifeguards and medical. · Medium confidence
- Run scenerySpectacular4.9
Pitch-pine barrens, Castle Point, waterfalls and cliffs. · Medium confidence
- Run conditionsBrutal1.2
Trail and carriage roads with cramps after repeated swim to run changes; 30 km (18.7 mi) of running. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessBig climbs1.0
Cardiac Hill at 20%, Godzilla at 11%, a climb to the 730 m (2,400 ft) high point and a stepped climb to the finish. · High confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant3.6
Late August or September on the ridge; hot bike and cool, foggy runs reported. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.3
Weather forced a modified course in 2002; recent years good. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyStunning4.9
Sky lakes, cliffs, waterfalls in Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints2.5
Spectators with signs and cowbells appear on the trail, but most of the course is hard to reach. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow3.5
Course high point about 730 m (2,400 ft); start near 100 m (330 ft). · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.1
New Paltz is a small town; no reports on rooms. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.2
No reports on prices around the race. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityMostly driving1.6
Start at the fairgrounds, finish at Sky Top: point to point across several sites. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.4
Remote location at the tip of Long Island; no nearby airport. · Low confidence
- LogisticsFiddly1.6
Point-to-point with a bike drop, trail stages, one helper and qualifying entry. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.2
New Paltz is a lively college and outdoors town. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- New Paltz, New York, United States
- Typical month
- August
- Latest or next date
- 30 August 2026
- Organiser
- Independent (Davis family, New York Triathlete Association)
- Field size
- About 300 athletes
- First held
- 1983
- Distances (non-standard)
- 3.4 km (2.1 mi) swim, 48.3 km (30.0 mi) bike, 30.1 km (18.7 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Three Shawangunk Ridge lakes: Awosting, Minnewaska and Mohonk (lake)
- Wetsuit
- Not found; athletes carry their running shoes through the swims
- Swim start
- race starts with the bike in waves from the Ulster County Fairgrounds at 7 a.m.; swims are self-paced mid-race crossings
- Swim laps
- 3
- Bike climbing
- 366 m (1,200 ft)
- Bike laps
- 1
- Key climbs
- Route 44/55 climb to the ridge
- Run laps
- 4
- Run shade
- mostly wooded
- Air temperature
- 12–26 °C (54–79 °F)
- Humidity
- moderate; ridge fog possible
- Altitude
- 730 m (2,400 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Stewart International (SWF), 30 km (19 mi) away
- Where to stay
- New Paltz
- Booking
- New Paltz is a busy college and tourism town; book early. A 2013 travel piece listed guest-house rooms from $115 a night.
What racers and reviewers say
- Slowtwitch: SOS, the most loved raceRaced 2018 · article · Positive
Report on the 2018 edition, listing all eight stages (30 mi / 48 km bike, 4.4 mi run with a 20% climb, three swims, a run past Awosting Falls with an 11% Godzilla climb). Finishers praised the format; a reader poll of favourite non-IRONMAN races put SOS first. Entry is online and reportedly sells out in about three minutes.
“the only race I care about”
- Slowtwitch: Meet Don Davis of the SOS TriathlonRaced 2017 · article · Positive
Interview with the founder: field capped at 150 then, supported by about 250 volunteers, a roughly 1,200 ft (366 m) opening bike climb and grueling hills, and a deliberate small, athlete-run feel. Registration opens at midnight on Halloween and sold out in about six minutes in 2017. Athletes carry everything they take off the bike.
“keeping the race intimate”
- Hudson Valley One: top finishers as SOS returns (2021)Raced 2021 · article · Positive
Coverage of the return after the 2020 cancellation: about 125 athletes reached the Castle Point stage, more than 200 volunteers worked it, and the course had not changed in 36 years. Winner 4:27:50. The organiser praised the community, volunteers, athletes and weather.
“the weather showed up”
- Hudson Valley One: Mohonk Preserve column on SOSRaced 2023 · article · Positive
First-person feature by a participant in the 37th race (214 finishers). Swim-run changes cause cramps and spasms, much of the course climbs, and she was passed by many cyclists and felt humbled. Spectators with signs and cowbells and the aid stations lifted the day; the organiser says there is no ego in the field.
“nowhere to go but up”
- New Paltz Oracle: SOS takes off for its 39th year (2025)Raced 2025 · article · Positive
Student paper account of the September 2025 race. Overcast and foggy on the ridge, judged good for racers. Hundreds apply for the limited places, hundreds volunteer (some for over 30 years), and a swim was slightly modified because of trail construction. Charity partners sponsor 15 to 20 spots.
Show 1 more
- Chronogram: SOS Triathlon featureRaced 2026 · article · Positive
Magazine feature on the 40th edition: about 300 athletes, 250 volunteers, eight aid stations, lifeguards and medical staff. It stresses blisters, cramping and hard nutrition decisions, and the community feel, with weddings held at Sky Top. Entrants must show they can finish through qualifying races or training records.
“we don't want people to feel like they're just a number”
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Sources
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