Captain Kids Triathlon

Captain Kids Triathlon

September 13, 2026
Moody Gardens, Galveston Island

Ahoy, Mateys! Join the Captain and Crew and plunge into the lazy river, bike past the palm trees of Moody Gardens, and dash through the tropical gardens on your way to a waterpark after-party with your crew! Every Mate and Mini Mate gets waterpark admission and can bring along three favorite mateys for free. Awesome race swag and one of a kind age group awards await! Family and friends can get involved too! Volunteer as a Deckhand and join the crew...you just might get some loot of your own! Chart your course for race day, or drop anchor for a family weekend getaway at the Moody Gardens Resort.

Events

• Mini Mates, Mates, and Captain's Waves for ages 6-16
• Teams Race with your team, school, family, or friends. It's up to you!
• Deckhands Join the Crew as a Deckhand and volunteer!

A Note on Ages and Wave Selection: USA Triathlon (USAT) specifies that your athlete's race age is your athlete's age as of December 31st. For example, if your athlete is 10 years old on race day, but will be 11 as of 12/31, then you will register them as a Mate, not a Mini Mate.

Race Distances:

• Mini Mates (6-10): 100m swim, 2 mile bike, ½ mile run
• Mates (11-14): 200m swim, 4 mile bike, 1 mile run
• Long Course Mates (15-16): 200m swim, 6 mile bike, 1.7 mile run
• Captain's Wave Mini Mates (6-10): 200m swim, 4 mile bike, 1 mile run
• Captain's Wave Mates (11-14): 200m swim, 6 mile bike, 1.7 mile run

The Captain's Wave: The Captain's Wave is for those athletes that have their sea legs and are experienced triathletes wanting to race, and is designed to add additional safety and fairness within the races. If your athlete is on a racing team, has a coach, routinely places in other youth races, and wants to test their skills against the other experienced athletes, then the athlete may qualify to compete in the Captain's Wave. Your athlete should be familiar with all aspects of triathlon, including the rules and regulations for youth triathlons (drafting, spacing, passing, etc), and should have competed in a number of triathlons prior to this event. If you’re not sure which division is right for your athlete, send the Captain an email and we’ll help you figure it out. The Captain's Waves have separate awards from the age group division and only compete against each other. The athletes are numbered from oldest to youngest, and awards are based on the number of participants.