ok so the three unique race formats specifically designed for triathletes I know about so far are the American Triple T
http://www.americantriple-t.com/races.php
The multiman
http://www.multisportcanada.com/ms/events/calabogie/description_multiman.cfm
And the Ultra-man.
http://www.ultramanworlds.com/
Are there any other race formats out there specifically for us triathletes which you would say are unique or have the RD “thinking outside the box?”
Minnesota Border-to-Border - a relay stage triathlon. I forget the exact distances but it’s something like: Day 1 - 200+ mile bike, Day 2 - 200+ mile bike, Day 3 - 50 mile run, Day 4 - 50 mile canoe (with portages).
Survival of the Shawangunks.
Not so much a format as an individual race.
Looks interesting though.
1 Bike 30 mi. Starting line is at the Ulster County Fair Grounds. First ten miles are mostly flat; second ten miles are rolling, with elevation gain; last ten miles are a climb into the Shawangunk Mountains.
2 Run 4.2 mi. Awosting parking lot to Lake Awosting. Elevation gain.
3 Swim 1.1 mi. Length of Lake Awosting. Swim is along the north shore.
4 Run 5.5 mi. Lake Awosting to Lake Minnewaska via Castle Rock. Water stop at mile 2.
5 Swim 0.5 mi. Lake Minnewaska. Swim is along the east shore.
6 Run 8.0 mi. Lake Minnewaska to Lake Mohonk via Trapp’s Bridge. Water/food stops at miles 2, 4, and 6.
7 Swim 0.5 mi. Lake Mohonk. Swim is along the east shore.
8 Run 0.7 mi. Lake Mohonk to “Skytop” tower. Short, but uphill climb to the finish.
The Ko Olina challenge on Oahu is a Swim - Run - Swim - Run - Swim - Run - Swim - Bike - Run
The swim is through 4 lagoons like this one…
Oh, here is another one - Mount Taylor Quadrathlon
The Quad is a 42 mile race to the top of the highest peak in Northwest New Mexico. Mt. Taylor is 11,301 ft. high. The race constists of 4 parts; road bikes, running, cross crounty skiing, and snow shoeing. If this is your first visit, here is a description of the race:
Bike:
Racers begin with a 13 mile road race through the streets of Grants and begin the 1,800 foot climb from desert cactus to ponderosa pine.
Run:
At the end of the paved road, bikes are parked and racers must run the next five miles on gravel roads. The road generally starts out dry but usually turns to snow pack. This part of the course will climb 1,200 feet in elevation.
Cross County Ski:
Runners then turn to cross-country skis to challenge the next 1,200 foot climb of the mountaineering ski course that covers two miles. During the final yards of this course you must face the notorious “Heart Break Hill” that lies waiting for weary racers.
Snowshoe:
The remaining one mile climb on snowshoes gains 600 feet to reach the 11,301 foot summit of Mt. Taylor where a person can see for over one hundred miles on a clear day.
and then…
The race is only half over. You must reverse the four events and race the 22 miles back to the Start/Finish line.
How about the Sea to Summit in NH. www.s2s-usa.com
I believe it is the greatest race on the planet (but then again I am the director)
We were talking about Multiman in masters the other day. Seems to me we might have to make this a family affair. A great way to get everyone involved but…Calabogie??? Hill city.
J
That one looks uber cool. Wish I were on the west coast. 
That is a fast fun sprint. Lots of folks don’t like the swim-run-swim-run format but I sure do. This year we had a bunch of AG’s that were here for the ITU WC. Real nice course and best T shirts I’ve gotten for a race.
Markus
Geography Lesson:
New Hampshire is on the east coast
Peter
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Yeah I agree… I was a bit scarey thinking about running barefoot before I got there, but that grass on the race course between the lagoons was soooo nice and soft.
lol…all I saw was Washington and for some odd reason, I assumed Washington state. I suppose that is what happens when you don’t live in the US.
M~