Bengal Triathlon
A Small Town Race with A Big Time Feel!
The Bengal Triathlon consists of a 700-yard pool swim, a furiously fast 13-mile bike, and a wickedly memorable 3-mile run. Race as an individual or as a team (2-person or 3-person team). Triathlon and duathlon options available! We welcome all levels of racers - from beginners through pros (yep... we get 'em all!). We want to bring new people to the sport, and do it in a way that's not too intimidating!
Save the Date!
The 2024 Bengal Triathlon date will be announced soon. Check back for more information.
Our Race Crew
A Sport Management Professor and a Bunch of Brilliant Young Professionals!
I'm Dr. Caroline "Smitty" Faure, and I'm the Race Director for the Bengal Triathlon. I started this race in 2006 for two reasons: One, it was a way for me to engage my sport management students through experiential learning; Two, it was a way to give back to a triathlon community that has meant a whole lot to me! In the process, I'm hoping to attract new people to appreciate our sport! That includes my students, most of whom have never heard much about the sport - until they take my class!
Experiential learning is a critical component of sport management student learning and one that can transform the learning process. Inside our classrooms, sport management students study event planning, facility operations, consumer behavior, human resource management, sponsor relations, marketing and promotion, risk management and more. With the Bengal Tri, they have to put those theories into practice. In doing so, most have to step outside their comfort zones to facilitate an event they initially know only a little bit about. By the end of their semester, they've (hopefully) begun to master the art of sports event management!
From all of my race experiences and my training as a USA Triathlon Race Director, I like to think I know a little about what racers want in a race (like cool race swag) and what they need (like ridiculous attention to course safety). I keep those things in mind and every year, I strive to make the Bengal Tri a little bit bigger and a little bit better. As I tell my students all the time... it's all about the details!
Make no mistake about it: This event showcases my students just as much as it showcases you, the athletes! I think that's pretty cool... and I hope you will, as well!
I'm looking forward to seeing you in April at the Bengal Tri!
The Bengal Triathlon is a capstone project for Idaho State University Sport Management and Athletic Administration students. The annual event, which originated in 2006, attracts between 300 and 400 participants annually and has become the largest sprint triathlon in the state of Idaho!
Our emphasis is on you, the participant! With Dr. Caroline Faure (Dr. Smitty)'s guidance, the HPSS 4473 Sport Facility and Event Management class spends almost the entire spring semester preparing for your arrival! Once you're here, we make the event experience fun! Dr. Smitty is all about experiential learning, so our students put classroom theory into practice. We emphasize race safety with everything we do!
You'll see between 50 and 70 students and volunteers on the bike course alone - there to keep you safe! You won't get lost on the run, either... since we add another 20 or so volunteers out there!
Our goal is not to make a lot of money. We keep the cost low, and we want to spoil our participants with super sweet swag, like hoodie sweatshirts (for those that register before April 1) and custom finisher medals. We may be small potatoes (pun intended... Idaho... get it?), but we do things BIG!
The Swim
700 YARDS: It's a race in April... in Idaho... so we do this by pool, and to make sure we have enough room, we swim on Friday - the night before the bike and run! We offer five swim locations for our participants to choose from: Pocatello (the main location), Idaho Falls, Boise, Twin Falls, and Lava Hot Springs. We use your swim times to seed the bike/run start on Saturday! NOTE: Choose your swim site when you register and we'll send out the available swim times after April 1.
DON'T WANNA SWIM? No problem. Choose the Duathlon option to just participate in the bike and run.
The Bike
13 MILES: A relatively flat and super fast course that will take you from ISU Reed Gym to Century High School and back! The fastest swimmer starts us off at 9:30 sharp on Saturday morning... then everyone else based on their swim time differential. SO... if you were the fastest swimmer and your time was 8:00... you will be sent off into T1 at 9:30 (helmet and shoes on!). Your buddy, who was two minutes less fast than you, would be sent off at 9:32am. Get it? Don't worry... we'll stage everyone and we'll have big race clocks out front set to the fastest swim time. The clock starts when we send the fastest swimmer into T1... and you go when your swim time pops up! Still lost? It's okay... Dr. Smitty will lose her voice calling all of your names when it's your turn to go!
The Run
3 MILES: It's a mixture of asphalt and dirt... hills and flats... with scenic views of the campus all the way around! The second mile (trail) is sure to challenge even the best racers. To make it even more memorable, we threw in a wicked climb just to remind you how awesome you are! Don't worry... once you make it to the Stephen's Performing Arts Center, it's all downhill to the finish to ensure you look good when you cross the line!
Register Here
Make a mistake on your registration or want to transfer it to someone else (before April 1)? No problem. Log onto Active.com and do it yourself!
KIDS UNDER 14: Keep in mind our race was created for adults. If kids under age 14 want to race, our permits require that an adult/guardian ride directly behind them the entire time on the bike course. This is for safety. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
The Athlete Race Guide has all the information you need to know about the event. Please review the guide prior to race day.
A mandatory pre-race meeting will be held on Saturday at 9:15am, just prior to the start of the race, in the front of Reed Gym.
Awards
Here's a disclaimer: We give lousy awards. That's because we think EVERYONE should be spoiled, not just the winners. So, we spend more to give out hoodies instead of t-shirts, and we drape a super cool custom finisher medal around your neck at the end of your race. Don't worry... if you do win, you'll still get something. And oh ya... the important stuff is covered, too. We have professional timing there to keep track of your times. We have awesome bike mechanics on-site to help you fix those pre-race flats or lube up those wintered chains. We have sports medicine pros there, too, to help you with your pre- and post-race aches and pains. We blast music to get you pumped up, we have a nice warm building you can go in and escape the cold (there are even real bathrooms and showers available to you), and we'll give you some hot food after your race.
Not bad, eh?
Hoodies
It's cold in the spring in Idaho. A t-shirt won't keep you warm. A hoodie will. It will also keep you cozy before those open water swims in June and July. So that's why we go big. We think the super soft hoodie is one of the best things about the Bengal Tri. Most others do, too.
Thank you to our sponsors!
We simply could not put on this event without these superb businesses listed below - and the people that work there! Most of our sponsors have been with us since Year #1! Please thank them... and better yet, go visit them!
Contact Us