White Lake Spring International & Sprint
White Lake (Goldston's Beach), United States · May · Independent (Set Up Events, North Carolina Triathlon Series)
Course: 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 45.1 km (28.0 mi) bike, 10 km (6.2 mi) run. Billed as International: 1,500 m (0.93 mi) swim, 28 mi (45.1 km) bike, 10 km (6.2 mi) run. The bike is about 5 km (3 mi) longer than a standard Olympic.
Why people love it
- Flat one-loop bike, 45 km (28 mi) Olympic or 30 km (18.5 mi) sprint, few turns
- Clear white-sand lake; a 2010 poster called the swim one of the nicest he had done
- Host hotel, restaurant and packet pickup on site at the start and finish
- Running since 1996 under Set Up Events, praised by posters as top notch
- Generous cutoffs: 4:30 Olympic and 2:30 sprint, from swim start
Watch out for
- Bikes are long, 45 km (28 mi) and 30 km (18.5 mi), so times do not match standard courses
- Run starts and ends with 0.8 km (0.5 mi) on a road shoulder inside cones
- Remote: about 95 km (60 mi) from Wilmington airport
- Open, flat country, so wind can matter
- Very few athlete reports; the best are forum posts from 2010 and 2021
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: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.8
Only forum praise (2010, 2021) and organiser material; RaceRaves and RaceMob show 0 reviews, so held near the average · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.0
A 2010 poster called the organiser top notch; recent evidence is organiser pages only. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.9
1,500 m (0.93 mi) in two laps, 45 km (28 mi) bike; flat and lifeguarded · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.3
Flat and fast; the bike is longer than standard · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalUsually4.0
Race expects wetsuits legal; early May water about 19 to 24 °C (66 to 75 °F), under the 25.6 °C (78 °F) limit · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable4.3
Estimated 19 to 24 °C (66 to 75 °F) in early May; not published · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm3.8
Sheltered oval, about 3 km (2 mi) long, but open water with 12 mph (19 km/h) average wind · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.0
Two 750 m (0.47 mi) loops · Low confidence
- Swim experienceGreat4.3
Clean and clear water, white sand beach; 2010 poster praise · Low confidence
- Swim supportGood3.9
Lifeguard on duty at the Saturday practice swim, wave starts; kayak numbers not published · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood3.9
'Smooth, speedy roads' per organiser for the Half; one poster called it good pavement · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open2.4
Cones on Hwy 53 and 701 shoulders and 'very little traffic', so roads are open · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryPleasant3.0
Flat pine country; not described · Low confidence
- WindSome wind3.4
Open flat country; average 12 mph (19 km/h) on listing · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedVery fast4.6
Flat, limited turns · Medium confidence
- Bike flatnessPancake flat4.8
Organiser and half-distance racers call the bike nearly flat with few turns and good pavement. · Medium confidence
- Bike simplicityStraight and simple4.6
Two right turns on the sprint (2019); limited turns on Olympic · Medium confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportDecent2.8
Resort beach, loops near the start; small field · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.3
Aid about every 0.75 mi (1.2 km), bottle hand-off, bike tech support · Medium confidence
- Run sceneryPleasant3.3
Lakeside road and trail · Low confidence
- Run conditionsEasy3.9
Two loops, partial shade · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessFlat4.7
Flat out-and-back run in two loops, with 0.8 km (0.5 mi) on a road shoulder. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant4.1
Estimated 11 to 26 °C (52 to 79 °F); about 21 °C (70 °F) at the start on a listing · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.4
May thunderstorms possible; policy says postpone, shorten or switch to duathlon · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely3.9
White sandy beach and clear lake; resort strip · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.0
Compact resort beach, finish and loops near it · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Estimated 30 m (100 ft) · Low confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.5
Host hotel plus motels, cottages and campground; small town · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood4.0
Budget lake motels; not researched in depth · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalk to everything4.5
Hotel, start, transition and finish are at the same beach site, per organiser pages. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.6
Rural; airports about 95 km (60 mi) away · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.3
Host hotel and packet pickup at the start and finish; organiser says on-site. Few athlete comments. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodFine3.0
On-site restaurant, sandwich shop, Dairy Queen, mini-golf; small town · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- White Lake (Goldston's Beach), North Carolina, United States
- Typical month
- May
- Latest or next date
- 2 May 2027
- Organiser
- Independent (Set Up Events, North Carolina Triathlon Series)
- Entry fee
- About $85
- First held
- 1996
- Distances (non-standard)
- 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 45.1 km (28.0 mi) bike, 10 km (6.2 mi) run
- Cutoffs
- Finish 4:30 from swim start
- Swim venue
- White Lake at The Grand Regal at Goldston's Beach (lake)
- Water temperature
- 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Legal
- Swim start
- wave
- Swim laps
- 2
- Bike laps
- 1
- Run laps
- 2
- Run shade
- Partial shade per the Half description
- Air temperature
- 11–26 °C (52–79 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate
- Altitude
- 30 m (98 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Wilmington International (ILM) or Fayetteville (FAY), 95 km (59 mi) away
- Where to stay
- The Grand Regal at Goldston's Beach, White Lake motels, Camp Clearwater
- Booking
- Host hotel The Grand Regal at Goldston's Beach is at start and finish; motels, cottages and Camp Clearwater campground nearby. Packet pickup Saturday 5 to 7 pm at The Glass Bottom bar, or Sunday 6 to 7:30 am; photo ID and USAT card needed. No in-person briefing, a video is posted instead.
What racers and reviewers say
- Slowtwitch forum 'Race recommendations in North Carolina'Raced 2010 · forum · Positive
2010 posters recommend White Lake as a first half or an early-season race: one called the lake swim one of the nicest he had done, clean and clear. The bike is a flat loop, the run was moved off subdivision streets to run around the lake, and the organiser, Set Up Events, is called top notch. Mentions Half and sprints.
- Slowtwitch forum 'Power Meter - Does this seem right?'Raced 2021 · forum · Positive
A rider who raced the White Lake Half in 2021 asked about low power for a 22 mph (35 km/h) split. Replies who knew the course called it almost perfectly flat with few turns and good pavement, and others raced it fast. This is the Half course, not the Olympic or sprint, so it is supporting evidence only.
Raced White Lake Spring International & Sprint? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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