RACE DESCRIPTION
Location: Northfield Mountain Recreation Center, 99 Millers Falls Rd., Northfield, MA 01360
The Great River Challenge is a triathlon event in the non-traditional category, being a paddle, run and bike event. We have safety on land and water as well as water stations throughout the course, making sure your experience is fun, challenging and safe! The timing is run by Fast Track Timing, who use timing chips to ensure accurate segment and transition times, so you can have record of every stage of the race.
Long Course
A canoe/kayak/SUP, trail run and mountain bike triathlon, the Great River Challenge will offer a hilly off-road course on fun trails at the Northfield Mountain Environmental and Recreation Center. The paddle leg will be a mass start on the Connecticut river, paddling out and back and around Captain Kidd's Island over 5.5 miles. The Running leg is a challenging 4 miles of single track trails and in the woods followed by a 7.5 mile mountain bike on single track trails.
Short Course
A canoe/kayak/SUP, trail run and mountain bike triathlon, the Great River Challenge will offer a hilly off-road course on fun trails at the Northfield Mountain Environmental and Recreation Center. The paddle leg will be a mass start on the Connecticut river, paddling out and back and around Captain Kidd's Island over 4 miles. The Running leg is a challenging 2.5 miles of single track trails and in the woods followed by a 3.75 mile mountain bike on single track trails.
Kayak/Canoe/SUP Leg
5.5 mile race up and back on the Connecticut River starting at the water-front Pavilion near the Northfield Mountain Center. The river flow is somewhat variable, but the river is very wide and free of obstacles, so the course will be easy to navigate. The start of the race will be on the water as a group, self-seeding your selves. You will head north, up river, about 2 miles to Captain Kidd’s Island, where you will round it counter-clockwise and head back towards the start. There will be buoys denoting the up and down stream lane, so please keep them on your left/port side. Just past the start line, you will head to the dock for the finish of the paddle leg. There will be helpers on the dock to help hold and carry your boat if needed.
Short Course 4 miles will turn around before Island where a buoy and boat will designate halfway.
1st Transition -From the dock, you will bring your boat up the ramp and volunteers will shuttle your boat away and you will run to your right into the transition zone across the timing pad. A special corral will be set up in this area for relay team members to continue on as well. At this point, you will leave the transition zone and head up the path into the parking lot onto Ferry Rd.
Run
The Running leg will be a 4 mile course (700ft of climbing) of mixed road and trails starting at the river and heading to the Northfield Mountain Recreational Center. From the river, the run will take you about 0.5miles from the old Ferry Crossing up along Ferry Rd, across Rt 63 to the Recreational Center. At this point, you will enter the trail system where the remainder of the course will be on packed gravel trails and single-track hiking trails. The climb will start out gradual and rolling, then becoming steeper towards the middle with 2 significant climbs. The last third of the course will be predominantly downhill towards the transition center at the Recreation Center.
Short Course 2.5 mile (500ft of climbing) cutting off part of the rose ledge loop.
2nd Transition -You will enter the transition area by crossing over the mat and find your bike on the bike racks, or for relay teams, you will find your teammate in the corral and then they will then head to the rack to find their bike. From there you will run your bike across the exit mat and head out onto the Mountain Bike Course.
Bike
The Bike leg will be about 7.5 miles (850ft of climbing), consisting of single track. At the start of the bike, you will head out of the fields across the access road onto some mowed grass trails for about the first half mile before entering the single-track trails. The single-track trails are in mixed woods and a gentle climb for about a mile where you will cross the power lines and enter the Single track trail which is level for a little while before 10 switch back climb. At the paved road crossing you are at the top for short course where you will then take single track trails down the mountain. Long course will head up the pavement. When you pop out under the powerlines you will have a fast last descent in to the grass to the finish line
Short Course 3.75 miles (430ft of climbing) One lap
Register before September to get correct shirt size
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$79.20
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$103.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$103.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$118.80
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$162.00
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$162.00
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$162.00
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$198.00
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$198.00
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$49.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$67.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$67.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 16.5 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$67.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$67.50
Oct 03, 2026
Distance — 11.25 Miles
Type — Multisports
10:00
$67.50
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for October in Northfield.
Learn more about the host city, Northfield.
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts. The Connecticut River runs through the town, dividing West Northfield from East Northfield and the village of Northfield, where the town hall is located.
Read more launchOfficial finishing times from previous editions of The Great River Challenge, Off-road Triathlon.
| Place | Name | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Mark Hofmeister | 1:40:42.77 | |
| 🥈 | Barney Collins | 1:54:04.87 | |
| 🥉 | Cody Johnson | 1:57:48.86 | |
| 4 | Pat Shannon | 2:00:44.87 | |
| 5 | Jared Fein | 2:12:37.33 | |
| 6 | Casey Fein | 2:13:23.76 | |
| 7 | Kyle Sturman | 2:19:56.87 | |
| 8 | Kristin Balboni | 2:25:04.7 | |
| 9 | Amanda Maffei | 2:32:15.42 |
Read what other athletes have to say about their experience at the The Great River Challenge, Off-road Triathlon.
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