Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Sea Cliff Triathlon will return this month for its second year, bringing athletes from across Long Island and beyond to the village for a course that combines swimming in Hempstead Harbor with biking and running through Sea Cliff.
Organizer Dan Flanzig, a triathlete who lives in Sea Cliff, said the race began with the idea that the village offered an ideal setting for a triathlon.
The course takes advantage of Sea Cliff’s proximity to Hempstead Harbor and its hills, which Flanzig said make it distinctive. Last year’s inaugural race drew 150 participants and sold out. Organizers are increasing the field to 200 participants this year.
The race is a ‘super sprint’ triathlon, shorter than a traditional triathlon, with distances of roughly 400 meters of swimming, 10 kilometers of biking and 2.5 kilometers of running.
Tappen Beach will serve as the race’s starting and finishing point, as well as the transition area between the three portions of the event. Flanzig said the course will be largely unchanged from last year, with a small modification to the runout because of limited space.
The bike portion will present one of the race’s primary challenges, including a significant hill climb. Participants will then be rewarded with a descent before continuing through Sea Cliff.
“The bike course (is most difficult) because it requires a pretty significant hill climb,” Flanzig explained, “but you’re rewarded by a very nice descent after you complete that.”
The route will take cyclists along Littleworth Lane and Carpenter Street and through downtown Sea Cliff. The running portion will take participants along Prospect Avenue and the waterfront.
“You are literally racing through the village streets to downtown Sea Cliff,” he said. “So it’s a really nice course.”
The shorter format is intended to make the race accessible to people who may not be ready for a longer triathlon. Participants can compete in age group categories, relay and family relay teams, as well as a high school class for students of high school age.
The event also attracts local participants. Flanzig said families from Sea Cliff and neighboring villages are expected to participate alongside individual athletes from farther away, including New Jersey.
The race is being supported by the Town of Oyster Bay, the Village of Sea Cliff and Nassau County. The town is providing support at the beach, while the village is providing support for the event and the county is providing police and ambulance assistance. Neighboring fire departments, including Roslyn and Glenwood Landing, will also assist.
The event will include awards for second- and third-place finishers in each category, while all participants will receive a finishing medal.
Flanzig also encouraged participants and their families to spend time in Sea Cliff after the race and patronize local businesses.
The event’s charitable component includes the New York Bicycling Coalition, on whose board Flanzig serves, and the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor. A portion of sponsorship money goes toward the organizations, according to Flanzig.
Flanzig said organizers are considering the race’s future based in part on how well the expanded field of 200 participants works with the course.
Corey Roberts, an event organizer with Race Awesome, is also helping run the triathlon. Roberts organizes other endurance events, including the Jones Beach Half Ironman and the Will Now Marathon.
For more information, visit TriSignUp.com/Race/NY/SeaCliff/SeaCliffTriathlon.
