Sunday, September 27
Loma, Colo.
7:30 a.m. MT
University of Denver
at
Desert's Edge Triathlon
Photo by: University of Denver Athletics
Denver Set For 2026 Desert’s Edge Triathlon
9/25/2026 6:34:00 PM | Triathlon
Pioneers set to race in their home state for the second consecutive season
LOMA, Colo. – The Denver Pioneers triathlon team heads to the Colorado western slope on Sunday for its first full sprint race of the season at the 2026 Desert's Edge Collegiate Cup at Highline State Park near Grand Junction. The start time is 7:30 a.m. MT.
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DU is getting set for its second of five races during the fall 2026 season after the squad placed fourth on Sept. 5 at the Southern Hills Triathlon super sprint in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
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The Pioneers are competing at the Desert's Edge for the second straight season after making their inaugural appearance at the event last year. DU placed sixth as a team in 2025 with Maira Carreau leading the Pioneers individually with a seventh-place finish.
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This will mark the sixth multi-sport event that DU has competed in within its home state in program history.
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The field will mostly consist of western-based schools, as the Pioneers will be competing against defending national champion Arizona as well as Arizona State, Black Hills State, Cal Poly Humboldt, Colorado Mesa, San Francisco, South Dakota, TCU and Gallaudet. Colorado Mesa and Grand Junction Sports Commission are once again hosting this year's event.
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The course begins with a one-lap, triangular swim around two buoys on the south side of Highline Lake. The competitors will then transition near the campground and onto the bike for a two-lap rectangular loop out of the park and to the south. The cyclists will head south on 11 8/10 Road before going west on Q road. They'll then head north on 10 Road before making their way over to R Road via Q 3/4 Road. After the second lap, the racers will re-enter the campground and get set for the run—a one-lap trek that is an out-and-back along the lake's edge from the southeast corner over to the east end and heading north.
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The 5K run finishes across the dam on the southern edge of the reservoir and back to the transition area near the campground. There is approximately 114 feet of elevation gain on the run, with a maximum altitude of 4,773 feet.
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Denver is expected to have eight of its nine student-athletes race, with senior Maira Carreau being the lone absence. Carreau is representing Canada this weekend at the World Triathlon Championships and placed 15th in the U23 individual race on Friday in Pontevedra, Spain.
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The Desert's Edge Triathlon marks the first of back-to-back race weekends for the Pioneers. DU travels east for the inaugural Navy Collegiate Cup in Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday, Oct. 4.
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Live results from Desert's Edge will be available at https://www.grandjunctionsports.org/dets-collegiate.
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DU is getting set for its second of five races during the fall 2026 season after the squad placed fourth on Sept. 5 at the Southern Hills Triathlon super sprint in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Â
The Pioneers are competing at the Desert's Edge for the second straight season after making their inaugural appearance at the event last year. DU placed sixth as a team in 2025 with Maira Carreau leading the Pioneers individually with a seventh-place finish.
Â
This will mark the sixth multi-sport event that DU has competed in within its home state in program history.
Â
The field will mostly consist of western-based schools, as the Pioneers will be competing against defending national champion Arizona as well as Arizona State, Black Hills State, Cal Poly Humboldt, Colorado Mesa, San Francisco, South Dakota, TCU and Gallaudet. Colorado Mesa and Grand Junction Sports Commission are once again hosting this year's event.
Â
The course begins with a one-lap, triangular swim around two buoys on the south side of Highline Lake. The competitors will then transition near the campground and onto the bike for a two-lap rectangular loop out of the park and to the south. The cyclists will head south on 11 8/10 Road before going west on Q road. They'll then head north on 10 Road before making their way over to R Road via Q 3/4 Road. After the second lap, the racers will re-enter the campground and get set for the run—a one-lap trek that is an out-and-back along the lake's edge from the southeast corner over to the east end and heading north.
Â
The 5K run finishes across the dam on the southern edge of the reservoir and back to the transition area near the campground. There is approximately 114 feet of elevation gain on the run, with a maximum altitude of 4,773 feet.
Â
Denver is expected to have eight of its nine student-athletes race, with senior Maira Carreau being the lone absence. Carreau is representing Canada this weekend at the World Triathlon Championships and placed 15th in the U23 individual race on Friday in Pontevedra, Spain.
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The Desert's Edge Triathlon marks the first of back-to-back race weekends for the Pioneers. DU travels east for the inaugural Navy Collegiate Cup in Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Â
Live results from Desert's Edge will be available at https://www.grandjunctionsports.org/dets-collegiate.
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DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTSÂ
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Triathlon on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @denverwomenstri on X
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Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Triathlon on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @denverwomenstri on X
Follow @DenverPioneers and @denverwomenstri on Instagram
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Players Mentioned
/ Triathlon
Friday, September 25
Wednesday, September 23
Saturday, September 19
Friday, September 18
