Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon History — Triathlete

On a recent midsummer afternoon, three generations of Davis men gathered around a kitchen table in upstate New York: family patriarch Don, his son Evan, and the newest member of the trifecta, eight-month-old Jacob. Good things, it seems, come in threes – much like triathlon.

Family has always been at the heart of the Davis clan, and nowhere is that more evident than in the community they’ve built around the Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) Triathlon, a point-to-point endurance race that combines trail running, open-water swimming, and road cycling through New York’s Shawangunk Mountains. What began decades ago as a spark of inspiration while Don Davis was training for the Ironman World Championship has grown into one of the sport’s most distinctive and enduring grassroots events.

On Sunday, August 30, the Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) will celebrate its 40th anniversary, a rare milestone in an endurance sports landscape increasingly dominated by large race organizations. Its longevity is something founder Don Davis, now 80, calls “surprising and complimentary at the same time.”

“It’s you versus the mountain”

In the early 1980s, Don Davis was immersed in the endurance boom before the rest of the world had fully caught on. After spending summers biking from Brooklyn to Queens’ Rockaway Beach, where he worked as a lifeguard for 30 years, he discovered distance running, checking the New York City and Boston Marathons off his list before setting his sights on the Hawaii Ironman, then in its infancy.

Some 90 miles north of New York City, the Shawangunk Mountains, known simply as “the Gunks” to locals, became Davis’ training ground. As he rode the winding mountain roads past the region’s crystal-clear glacial lakes, an idea began to form: What if one workout connected them all?

“Mother Nature put these beautiful lakes in the middle of the Shawangunk Mountains,” Don Davis said. “She made the first lake the longest, the second lake the middle distance, and then you could sprint the third lake.”

He invited a handful of friends to try the challenge, and from that adventure, the Survival of the Shawangunks was born.

Forty years later, the landscape still dictates nearly every aspect of the race. In the eight-stage event, athletes cycle more than 30 miles through the mountains and complete four running segments on gravel carriage trails totaling 18.7 miles. Between those runs, they swim 2.1 miles across three lakes, carrying their running shoes through each crossing before scrambling back onto shore. The race culminates with a .7-mile climb to the finish atop Sky Top Tower, a historic stone lookout perched at an elevation of about 1,550 feet and accessible only by foot.

There are no traditional transition areas and few spectators lining the course. Instead, competitors spend much of the day alone with the mountains.

“It’s definitely an adventure,” said Evan Davis, who has gradually assumed much of the event’s leadership and also serves as CEO of the New York Triathlete Association, which his father founded. “It’s really man versus nature. It’s a phenomenally beautiful event that breaks the mold.”

For triathlete Rebeccah Wassner, a four-time SOS champion who currently holds the women’s course record of 4 hours, 40 minutes, the race’s difficult terrain is all part of its appeal.

“When you’re out there racing, it’s 100 percent you versus the mountain. It’s relentless. You get a lot of time to think, and at the same time, you can turn your shoulder and see these amazing, beautiful views,” Wassner said. “Then there’s the final swim in Mohonk, when you can see the finish line way up there and know you’re so close, but you still have that final climb to Sky Top Tower. It truly defines what it means to be a survivor.”

Keeping the dream alive

While the race has remained remarkably close to its original vision (and its original course), including limiting the field to just 300 participants (entries sell out in minutes), SOS hasn’t remained frozen in time.

The biggest operational changes came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when organizers were forced to rethink logistics. Before then, every competitor needed a personal support crew to transport their bike between stages. The race now provides official bike transportation from the start at the Ulster County Fairgrounds to the bike-to-run transition, eliminating the need for athletes to recruit their own crew. The fairgrounds also serve as the hub for post-race festivities and participant camping, making the event more accessible and communal.

The Davis family credits its volunteers, many of whom have been part of the race since the beginning, with helping preserve the event’s unique spirit.

“We have volunteers that go back more than 40 years,” Evan Davis said. “There’s a wonderful community surrounding this event that’s stayed strong, and I think that’s one of its biggest strengths.”

A family affair at the SOS Triathlon

Of course, it helps that the event has remained a family affair, both in its leadership and among its participants. Don Davis has competed in the race countless times and eventually recruited Evan to join him.

“I grew up with the race, and my dad and all of his friends were like gods among men to me,” Evan said. “Eventually, my dad and I did it together. He stayed with me the entire time, even though he could have gone much faster. People were proud of themselves for beating Don Davis, but they actually only beat Evan Davis.”

Now, as he watches his own son, Jacob, grow up around the race, Evan hopes the tradition continues for another generation.

“Keeping the dream alive and going strong in this day and age is, in and of itself, a pretty exciting accomplishment,” Evan said. “We’re grateful, and we hope it continues to be successful. You never know what the future holds, but we’re thankful for where we are.”