The start of the 2025 Back Mountain Triathlon with the first wave of swimmers racing into Harveys Lake.
Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader
Now entering year four and firmly solidified as one of the top stops for triathletes both local and beyond, the Back Mountain Triathlon has become a reliable fixture at the end of the summer.
That doesn’t mean that there isn’t room to grow, however, and that’s exactly what the Triathlon is aiming to do as preparations for the 2026 race get underway.
“We’re always thinking about growing the race, building our reputation and making connections,” Triathlon race director Dave Bass said. “What areas could we connect with, and get our presence there. … We want to bring in triathletes from all over Pennsylvania.”
The fourth annual Back Mountain Triathlon will take place around the Harveys Lake area on Aug. 30, with hundreds of participants expected to take on the course and try to write their name into the history books.
Over the course of the summer, a weekly profile highlighting an athlete taking part in the Back Mountain Triathlon will run in the Times Leader on Sundays to introduce readers to the talented men and women taking part in the race.
Broadening the race’s horizons and drawing in even more elite athletes is one of the primary aims for Bass and his race committee for this year’s Triathlon, as is enhancing the race-day experience for both the athletes and the large crowd of spectators that has faithfully come out year after year to root the racers on.
The race itself remains unchanged — swim, bike and run from Sandy Beach, around the roadways surrounding the lake and then to Lake-Noxen Elementary School for the finish.
That experience can’t be altered, but the race committee is looking at a few different ways to amp up the party vibes and the atmosphere that surrounds the Back Mountain Triathlon.
“This is a race by athletes, for athletes,” Bass said. “How could we make the experience better for them? The post-race experience is something we’re working on.”
On both of those fronts, broadening the scope and enhancing the atmosphere, the Back Mountain Triathlon is already working with a leg up.
Athletes from outside of the Wyoming Valley have already made an impact over the first three years of the triathlon’s existence, including last year when Robin Barth journeyed from Williamsport to win the women’s race.
Barth’s racing club, Rise Up Racing, has partnered with the Back Mountain Triathlon and is expected to send a group of around 50 athletes to take a crack at the course this year.
A similar partnership has been forged with the Schuylkill Tri Club, according to Bass, another club that had a solid presence at last year’s race.
Bass also said he’ll be looking to attract some athletes from in and around the Philadelphia area, and he’ll be able to do with the help of a local connection — he’s set to make an appearance on Positively Philly, a talk show hosted by PA Live alum Rachel Malak, over the summer.
“We definitely think that when they hear about the race, they see the beautiful lake and they realize it’s only a two-hour drive, they’ll be blown away,” Bass said.
No matter where they come from, Williamsport or Wilkes-Barre or somewhere in between, a concerted effort is being made to ensure that the good times don’t stop for these athletes once they cross the finish line.
One minor change is being made to the course layout itself, and it revolves around the finish line: Bass said that they’re moving the line slightly inside the Lake-Noxen parking lot to create more of a final straightaway for the runners.
This, in turn, will give spectators more of a chance to cheer on the racers as they make the final dash for home while creating a tunnel of cheers and signs and applause.
This newly shaped finish will also feature several vendors along the closing stretch, mixing in returners like Humphrey’s Bootery and Food Dignity with new faces like Revello’s and Jitty Joe’s.
Jitty Joe’s will also be a big presence on Saturday for the third annual Kids Fun Run, with free ice cream and a free t-shirt going to each youth athlete that takes part in the run.
One more major addition to the fanfare this year: live music, courtesy of Back Mountain-based group Chase Who, for the first time in the triathlon’s short history.
And for for those unable to make it to race day on Aug. 30, the race committee is working on getting cameras posted around the course, all feeding onto Facebook Live. It’s an idea that they’ve toyed with in the past, but Bass said that he believes his team has it figured out now.
For anyone a little daunted by the sheer magnitude of running an Olympic distance triathlon, the sprint course will be back for a third year, trimming each of the three legs of the race in half.
Registration for the 2026 Back Mountain Triathlon is open now, accessible by searching for the race on NEPARunner.com or by visiting the event’s own website, backmountaintriathlon.com.
Anyone who registers before Aug. 13 will receive a Triathlon “swag bag” and this year’s special race T-shirt.
All proceeds generated from the Back Mountain Triathlon will be earmarked for donation to several Back Mountain first responder agencies and charitable nonprofit organizations.
It’s a labor of love for Bass and his committee, giving back to the community that has embraced them since they started their journey to bring triathlon back to the region.
“I love the way the lake community has embraced us,” Bass said. “I think this is going to be the best race we’ve ever had.”
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