The open-water swim is what stops most people from ever trying a triathlon. A wave of American multisport events has quietly solved that problem by swapping the swim for a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard — and a few throw in orienteering, mountain biking, or a mountain crossing for good measure.

The most eccentric of the bunch is the Great Josh Billings Runaground in Lenox, Massachusetts, held each September and nearing its 50th year. Teams of two (Tin division) or solo racers (Iron division) tackle a 27-mile bike ride through five towns with 1,750 feet of climbing, a 5-mile paddle around Stockbridge Bowl, and a 6.4-mile run finishing at Tanglewood's Main Gate. It ends with live music, a beer tent, and a kids' race — fitting for an event named after a 19th-century humorist whose motto was "to finish is to win."

Out west, September brings the Big Hurt in Port Angeles, Washington: a four-leg monster from the Olympic Mountain foothills to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, combining a 16-mile mountain bike, 2.6-mile harbor kayak, 30-mile road ride, and 10K run. Solo or relay, with a beer garden and a youth race the next day. In Sacramento each July, the Great American Triathlon runs 5.8 miles, rides 12.5, then paddles 6.1 miles down the American River Parkway — capped at 600 individuals and 250 teams, and it raises money to protect the parkway itself.

For something genuinely different, skip the fixed course entirely. The Gut Check Cape Cod in Brewster, Massachusetts keeps its checkpoints secret until race morning — expect 1,000 vertical feet each of trail running and cycling plus up to four half-mile water crossings in 2,000-acre Nickerson State Park. It sold out in 2025. The Pisgah 12-Hour Adventure Race near Nebo, North Carolina is a scored orienteering showdown around Lake James: collect as many checkpoints as possible by foot, bike, and boat over twelve hours. Both reward map-and-compass skills as much as fitness.

Shorter and friendlier options exist too. Bay City, Michigan's Driathlon (16th year running) is a 5K kayak, 20K bike, and 5K run that lives up to its name, while Point Pleasant, New Jersey's DQ Treasure Island Sprint pairs a 1.5K paddle on the Manasquan River with a 10.5-mile bike and 3-mile run, with cash prizes and series points on the line. And each Memorial Day weekend, Ski to Sea in Whatcom County sends teams of up to eight across 91 miles from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay via cross-country skiing, running, two kinds of biking, canoeing, and sea kayaking — the original team relay since 1973.

If you've wanted a taste of multisport racing without cold-water swim panic, there's an event here for nearly every fitness level and appetite for weirdness — most clustered in September, most open to relays, and all promising scenery you won't get on a standard road course.