Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, live.

A swim from the island and a climb up the Sand Ladder

The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon starts in the bay next to Alcatraz Island and finishes on the Marina Green in San Francisco, on the weekend of 5 and 6 June 2027.

The first race was held in 1981, and the event now draws more than 2,000 triathletes to San Francisco. Age group places are allocated by random drawing, which opened on 23 September 2026. The original course went to Mill Valley and over Mount Tamalpais, but since 1993 the whole race has stayed inside the city.

The swim starts at 7:00 am and covers 1.5 miles in cold water, around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with strong currents. Wetsuits and hoods are recommended. Athletes exit at Marina Green Beach beside the St. Francis Yacht Club and run half a mile to the main transition.

The 18 mile bike is an out and back through the Presidio, up to the Palace of the Legion of Honor and along the Great Highway into Golden Gate Park, with steep climbs and no aid stations or bottle exchange. The 8 mile run goes under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Coast Trail to Baker Beach, through deep sand and up the Sand Ladder, about 400 steps up the cliff, before returning to the Marina Green.

Course closures are 8:30 am for the swim, 10:15 am for the bike and 12:45 pm for the run. The finish is on the grass at Marina Green among thousands of cheering fans, and race weekend includes a free two day Fitness Festival at Marina Green that is open to the public.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry during the race. That is the athlete's own sharing and not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.