Lake Charles Hosting Wild Off-Road Triathlon at Sam Houston Park

KNGT | Lake Charles, LA — I ran across a pretty cool event happening this weekend, right here in Southwest Louisiana. The Gator Gauntlet Off-Road Triathlon is coming to Sam Houston Jones State Park in the Bluff (Moss Bluff) this Saturday, August 29, and this ain't your normal triathlon.

Run down a road? Swim laps in a pool? Ehhh, that's a normal Triathlon. We do it different here in Southwest Louisiana. These guys are hitting the trails, jumping on mountain bikes, and then grabbing a kayak for a trip down the Calcasieu River. WOW, That makes me tired just writing it.

The Gator Gauntlet Off-Road Triathlon

The Gator Gauntlet Off-Road Triathlon starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, August 29, at Sam Houston Jones State Park, located at 107 Sutherland Road in Lake Charles. And I really like the idea behind this thing. Instead of holding the whole race in one little area, competitors are gonna get a pretty good tour of the park.

The full race includes about a 4-mile trail run, followed by 8 miles of mountain biking, and then a 1-mile kayak paddle on the Calcasieu West Fork River. That's 13 miles of Southwest Louisiana outdoors. Running through the woods. Riding trails. Paddling the river.

Now, if you're reading this thinking there's absolutely no way you're doing all three of those things, there's another option. They've got an Off-Road Triathlon Relay too. So you can put a team together and split up the work.

Here's another reason I thought this was worth sharing. Proceeds from the Gator Gauntlet will benefit the trails at Sam Houston Jones State Park. That's pretty cool. And after everything that park has been through over the years, seeing an event use those trails while also helping support them is something I can get behind.

Now, am I personally ready to run four miles, mountain bike eight more, and then paddle a kayak for another mile? Absolutely not. But I wouldn't mind watching y'all do it.

The Gator Gauntlet Off-Road Triathlon happens Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles. If you've been looking for something a little different to challenge yourself, this one definitely qualifies. Just don't call me when you get to mile three of that trail run asking why I told you about it.

To Signup Follow the Link HERE.

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Gallery Credit: Chaston Tavares

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