Ascension Seton CapTex Tri (SuperTri Austin; formerly Life Time Tri CapTex)
Austin, United States · May · SuperTri (bought from Life Time)
Latest edition: Now run by SuperTri as the Ascension Seton CapTex Tri. 2026 edition ran Monday 25 May 2026 with pro racing integrated; SuperTri lists the 2027 Olympic on Monday 31 May 2027 (another page says 25 May, confirm). Life Time is no longer named on the organiser pages.
Why people love it
- Downtown Austin course: swim in Lady Bird Lake, bike to the Capitol, flat lakefront run
- Rookie 300 m (330 yd) option and ability-ranked waves with kayaks help first-timers
- Bike streets are closed to traffic
- Parking at the Palmer Events Center garage next to the finish
- Waves ranked by swim ability, with an optional friend start
Watch out for
- The wetsuit call is made on race morning; water usually sits near 25.6 °C (78 °F)
- The run has little shade, and race-day highs of 28 to 37 °C (83 to 98 °F) are common
- A 2026 racer reported potholes, crowded bike loops and confusing wave assignments since SuperTri took over
- Packet pickup is Sunday only, and bike check-in is mandatory on Sunday
- Pro racing pushed age-group starts about an hour later in 2026; the 2027 date is unconfirmed
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 satisfactionLiked3.3
A long-running Austin Memorial Day race, but the one review since the SuperTri takeover is very negative and other reports are old or promotional. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.0
2026: Sunday-only 8-hour packet pickup, conflicting bike drop rules and age groupers pushed back about an hour by the pro race. Finishers fell 6.2%. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly4.1
Rookie and sprint options, ability waves and 430 first-timers; the 5 km (3.1 mi) run keeps heat exposure short. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.5
Flat 5 km (3.1 mi) run with shorter heat exposure. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip2.8
Legal under 25.6 °C (78 °F) by USA Triathlon rules, but the lake sits right there, so it is a race-morning call. · Medium confidence
- Water temperatureAcceptable3.0
Typically near 25.6 °C (78 °F) in May per the organiser, the warm edge of comfortable. · Medium confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm4.4
Sheltered urban lake with no current or swell reported. · Medium confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.0
Straight lake swim and easy sighting; start congestion at collisions. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceGreat3.5
Skyline views, but a 2026 racer reported weeds, debris, a bridge odour, sun glare and start collisions. · Low confidence
- Swim supportGood3.9
Lifeguards, pontoon staff, kayaks and ability-ranked waves; a 2026 reviewer found wave assignment confusing and kayaks badly placed. · Medium confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed2.7
A 2026 reviewer reported potholes and damaged pavement at the U-turn and on Congress Avenue. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.3
Organiser lists closed Austin streets; closure details are otherwise thin. · Medium confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful3.8
Congress Avenue to the Texas Capitol and the downtown skyline. · Medium confidence
- WindMostly calm3.8
No wind complaints; sheltered downtown streets. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedAverage3.4
Flat but technical: four crowded loops with U-turns and mixed-ability fields. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessMostly flat4.0
Mostly flat over 19.8 km (12.3 mi); elevation gain is not published. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts2.5
Four loops of city turns and U-turns; reports from 2014 and 2026 call it technical or crowded. · Medium confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.5
Downtown spectators and a big finish area, but no recent crowd report. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.4
Water, electrolytes and medical at aid stations; one reviewer found it adequate. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.9
Lakeshore, Butler Park and Barton Springs Road with the skyline. · Medium confidence
- Run conditionsModerate3.2
A shadeless 5 km (3.1 mi) run, shorter than the Olympic. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessMostly flat4.4
Flat, fast lakefront loops. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureHarsh2.2
Highs of 28 to 37 °C (83 to 98 °F) on 25 May from 2022 to 2026, with about 65% humidity. · High confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.4
Mostly hot and dry, but rain slicked the 2014 course and May storms are possible. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.0
Downtown skyline above Lady Bird Lake and Auditorium Shores. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.0
Compact downtown loops with repeated passes. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
About 150 m (490 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
Large downtown supply, but it is a holiday weekend. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal2.8
Downtown Austin on a holiday weekend; no prices found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.9
Palmer Events Center garage is next to the finish; packet pickup and transition are close. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.4
Austin airport is about 13 km (8 mi) from downtown. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity2.9
No race-morning pickup, mandatory Sunday bike check-in, transition closed during the pro race and a one-way re-entry loop. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Barton Springs, South Congress and downtown dining. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Austin, Texas, United States
- Typical month
- May
- Latest or next date
- 25 May 2026
- Organiser
- SuperTri (bought from Life Time)
- Field size
- About 2,000 athletes
- Entry fee
- About $285
- First held
- 1991
- Distances
- 0.8 km (0.5 mi) swim, 20 km (12.4 mi) bike, 5 km (3.1 mi) run
- Cutoffs
- Swim 30 minutes after final swimmer enters
- Swim venue
- Lady Bird Lake (downtown Austin) (reservoir)
- Water temperature
- 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Optional
- Swim start
- wave
- Swim laps
- 1
- Key climbs
- Congress Avenue approach to the Capitol, about 1 mi (1.6 km) up and down
- Run laps
- 1
- Run shade
- Little; a 2026 reviewer called the run shadeless.
- Air temperature
- 16–37 °C (61–99 °F)
- Humidity
- About 65 percent on race morning per organiser.
- Altitude
- 150 m (490 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS), 13 km (8 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown, South Congress, Zilker / Barton Springs
- Booking
- Memorial Day weekend downtown; book early. Airport about 13 km (8 mi) from downtown (approximate).
What racers and reviewers say
- Fox 7 AustinRaced 2019 · article · Positive
News item on the 29th edition: sold out with athletes from 8 countries and 33 states, 7 am swim in Lady Bird Lake, bike to the Capitol, run past Butler Park to Auditorium Shores.
- KXAN Austinarticle · Positive
Local news, year not stated: about 2,000 racers including 430 first-timers per SuperTri, with Olympic, Sprint, Rookie and Relay divisions. Swim across Lady Bird, bike to the Capitol, run via Butler Park.
- Triathlete (Tim Hemings column)Raced 2026 · article · Mixed
Column notes Supertri Austin finishers dropped 6.2 percent from 1,347 in 2025 to 1,263 in 2026. No race-experience detail.
- SuperTri Quick GuideRaced 2026 · article · Mixed
Organiser logistics: Sunday packet pickup and mandatory Sunday bike check-in, no race-morning pickup, paid garage parking, ability-ranked waves, and the USAT wetsuit rule decided on race morning. Used for facts, not sentiment.
Raced Ascension Seton CapTex Tri (SuperTri Austin; formerly Life Time Tri CapTex)? 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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