S.O.S. 2026

S.O.S. is a small, difficult-to-enter triathlon-style race in the Shawangunk Mountains, with only 200 to 300 athletes accepted each year and spots usually gone within minutes. Run since 1983, it is not a standard swim-bike-run: athletes move through eight stages that include biking, lake swimming, and trail running. The course works upward toward the top of the Shawangunks, following a route the founder used while training for IRONMAN Kona and other IRONMAN events. Athletes must qualify before they can enter, and they have to carry and swim with their own gear, including shoes, socks, goggles, and a swim cap. One race report described it as the writer’s most challenging race and also their most adventurous.